May 27, 2010
The Question
What are the existing incentives and disincentives for surveillance and reporting of emerging disease outbreaks in a timely manner?
What we found
Policies could encourage reporting by providing medical and diagnostic assistance or financial assistance to offset costs of reporting disease, including trade losses.
Why it matters
Disease surveillance and reporting is a global public good, and individual country failures to report pandemics negatively impact the global community. International institutions should betterunderstand and implement incentives to encourage both surveillance and reporting.
