Ebola and Zika have reminded the world of how unprepared we are for a major disease outbreak. A significant amount of analysis and reflection followed these crises, including the recommendations from the Commission on a Global Health Risk Framework for the Future convened by the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). These efforts have led to broad consensus on what must be done to better detect, prevent and respond to the next major epidemic—yet far too little action has taken place thus far.

To incite global action, the NAM and the Harvard Global Health Institute (HGHI) are co-hosting an invitation-only meeting on Tuesday, April 18, 2017, at the National Academies building. The meeting will bring together technical experts from around the globe to validate a framework to monitor and then report on progress toward pandemic preparedness. In this meeting, participants will carefully consider what metrics are needed, what should be measured, and how best to collect and disseminate data in ways that spur meaningful action. The monitoring framework is made up of four key areas:

1) Strengthening Public Health as a Foundation;
2) Improving Science, Technology and Access;
3) Assessing and Analyzing Risk; and
4) Global Community and Partnership Building.

The workshop will result in a formal NAM report as well as journal-based output, which will be presented at the World Health Assembly in May 2017. The validated framework will serve as a platform for NAM, HGHI, and other partners to monitor global progress toward pandemic preparedness and global health security on an ongoing basis.