Here is what the @oxmartinschool Commission for Future Generations (including Peter Piot from @LSHTM, @ian_goldin, @mbachelet et al) had to say about pandemics in 2013 @natalieday1 @addevendra @UniofOxford #coronavirus #Covid_19 
"There are concerning trends surrounding infectious diseases. Firstly, rapidly evolving viruses such as influenza, ebola, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome – Coronavirus, and HIV continue to thrive.
Such threats are not new; the 1918–1919 influenza pandemic, originating towards the end of the First World War, had a devastating impact on populations around the world."
"Should another pandemic arise, however, it is doubtful sufficient global capacity exists to deal with the loss of life, resulting panic and the potentially crippling effects on the world economy.
The connectivity and just-in-time pressures generated by globalisation make these threats more acute, and magnify the ramifications of poor coordination.
Too much of the current focus appears reactionary, despite evidence showing 'a breakdown or absence of public health infrastructure was the driving factor' in nearly 40 percent of infectious disease outbreaks internationally."
"The WHO’s 2005 International Health Regulations (IHR) need to be made operational at both the national level and across borders to a much greater extent, given the nature of the epidemics."
Further IHR revisions could be considered ... to provide specifics on immediate action; rapid diagnosis and intervention teams; shared R&D on animal and human pathogens; a regulatory regime for safety and security; and consistency in local, national and international practices."
"Risks arising from natural and synthetically created pandemics, climate change, cyber attacks and other cross-border threats are more intense, rapid and complex than many previous threats ... compounding the risks of contagion and cascading failures."
Full report is here; key pages are 21, 30-31: oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/downloads/comm…
