The G20 High Level Independent Panel on Financing the Global Commons for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, reconvened by the South African G20 Presidency, has released a new report titled Closing the Deal: Financing Our Security Against Pandemic Threats. The report finds that the world remains insufficiently prepared for future pandemics and that financing for prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR) is not keeping pace with growing biological risks. Although steps have been taken since 2021, including the establishment of the G20 Joint Finance and Health Task Force and the Pandemic Fund, current investments lag behind global needs, and many countries have yet to integrate PPR into national budgets.
The report identifies five major financing gaps, including limited domestic resource mobilisation, inadequate access to medical countermeasures, and underutilised development bank tools. It also highlights the need for sustained investment in tests, treatments, and PPE, and for stronger capitalisation of the Pandemic Fund. The Panel calls for coordinated action to strengthen global systems and close the pandemic financing gap.
