New York Times: How to Fight the Next Epidemic
Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

“…In short, in a battle against a severe epidemic, we would be taking a knife to a bazooka fight. I believe that we can solve this problem, just as we’ve solved many others — with ingenuity and innovation. We need a global warning and response system for outbreaks. … We also need to invest in disease surveillance. … We need lists of trained personnel, from local leaders to global experts, prepared to deal with an epidemic immediately. We need trained military resources ready to respond, and a list of supplies to be stockpiled or commandeered in an emergency. Finally, we need to invest far more in research on drugs, vaccines, and diagnostic tests, and make it possible to accelerate the approval of new approaches in times of crisis. The United Nations should empower and fund a global institution to coordinate these efforts…” (3/18).