Devex: Q&A: The private sector’s seat at the global health security table
“In the wake of Ebola, many governments were spurred to think about their response and possible prevention tactics against similar epidemics moving forward. They weren’t alone. Seeing the clear economic impact such outbreaks could have on business and economies, the private sector stepped up and joined the conversation. … Since then, corporations from across the globe have committed to working together alongside nongovernmental organizations and governments to ensure that infectious diseases don’t necessarily equate to loss of life or an economic downturn. While that undoubtedly means considering emergency response, it is critical to ensure that preventative measures are in place before it even gets to that stage. … Sitting down with Devex, [Alan Tennenberg, chief medical officer at Johnson & Johnson] revealed some of the inner workings, systems, and processes that the private sector is putting in place to mitigate against a breach of health security, and he explains why the sector has more to offer than money…” (Root, 11/6).