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Temporary Protected Status and Deferred Enforced Departure [Updated May 12, 2021]
From the Summary: "When civil unrest, violence, or natural disasters erupt in countries around the world, concerns arise over the ability of foreign nationals present in the United States who are from those countries to safely return. Provisions in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) provide for temporary protected status (TPS) and other forms of relief from removal under specified circumstances. The Secretary of Homeland Security has the discretion to designate a country for TPS for periods of 6 to 18 months and can extend these periods if the country continues to meet the conditions for designation. Congress has also provided TPS legislatively. A foreign national from a designated country who is granted TPS receives a registration document and employment authorization for the duration of the TPS designation. As of March 11, 2021, approximately 320,000 foreign nationals living in the United States were protected by TPS."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Wilson, Jill, 1974-
2021-05-12
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U.S. Agricultural Trade with Cuba: Current Limitations and Future Prospects [May 14, 2021]
From the Introduction: "Political and economic developments in Cuba, a one-party authoritarian state with a poor human rights record, have frequently been the subject of intense congressional concern since the 1959 Cuban revolution. For most of the period since the early 1960s, the United States has imposed comprehensive economic sanctions on Cuba, including a trade embargo. Although Congress authorized U.S. commercial agricultural exports to Cuba in the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (TSRA; P.L. 106-387, Title IX), that law also prohibited U.S. government support and private financing for such exports.As a result, U.S. shipments to Cuba have remained low, accounting for a fraction of 1% of U.S. agricultural exports in recent years. The United States imports no agricultural products from Cuba. Proposed legislation in the 117th Congress (S. 249) would remove the trade embargo and the prohibitions in TSRA on using U.S. public or private financing for agricultural exports. This report provides background on U.S.-Cuba agricultural trade, describes the current trade relationship, and considers prospects for future trade in agricultural products should the embargo be relaxed or repealed."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Regmi, Anita
2021-05-14
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Haitian Economy and the HOPE Act [June 24, 2010]
"In December 2006, the 109th Congress passed the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act of 2006 (HOPE I), which included special trade rules that give preferential access to U.S. imports of Haitian apparel. These rules were intended to promote investment in the apparel industry as one element of a broader economic growth and development plan. HOPE I allowed for the duty-free treatment of select apparel imports from Haiti made from less expensive third-country inputs (e.g., non-regional yarns, fabrics, and components), provided Haiti met rules of origin and eligibility criteria that required making progress on worker rights, poverty reduction, and anti-corruption measures. Early assessments of the effectiveness of HOPE I, however, were disappointing. The 110th Congress responded by amending HOPE I with the Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act of 2008 (HOPE II). HOPE II extended the preferences for 10 years, expanded coverage of duty-free treatment to more apparel products, particularly knit articles, and simplified the rules, making them easier to use. Early evidence suggests that apparel production and exports are responding to these changes. HOPE II also amended the eligibility requirements by requiring Haiti to create a new independent Labor Ombudsman's Office and establish the Technical Assistance Improvement and Compliance Needs Assessment and Remediation (TAICNAR) Program. The TAICNAR program provides for the United Nations International Labor Organization (ILO) to operate a firm-level inspection and monitoring program to help Haitian apparel factories comply with meeting core labor standards, Haitian labor laws, and occupational health and safety rules. It would apply to those firms that agree to register for the program as a prerequisite for utilizing the tariff preferences. The TAICNAR program is also designed to help Haiti develop its own capacity to monitor compliance of apparel producers in meeting core labor standards."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hornbeck, J. F. (John F.)
2010-06-24
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Greenhouse Gas Emission Drivers: Population, Economic Development and Growth, and Energy Use [March 5, 2010]
"The interactions of three variables underlie debates on the issue of climate change and what responses might be justified: the magnitude and rates of change of (1) population, (2) incomes, and (3) intensity of greenhouse gas emissions relative to economic activities. This report examines the interrelationships of the variables to explore their implications for policies that address climate change. Both internationally and domestically, initiatives are underway both to better understand climate change and to take steps to slow, stop, and reverse the overall growth in greenhouse gas emissions, the most important of which is carbon dioxide (CO2), emitted by the combustion of fossil fuels. [...] This upward trend in greenhouse gas emissions runs counter to the long-term objectives of these climate change initiatives. This report identifies drivers of the increase in emissions and explores their implications for efforts to reduce emissions. During this exploration, it is useful to bear in mind that although short-term efforts may not achieve emissions reductions that immediately meet goals to prevent dangerous interference with the climate system, such endeavors may nevertheless establish a basis for longer-term efforts."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Parker, Larry B.; Blodgett, John E.
2010-03-05
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Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 [Updated September 30, 2008]
"The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, P.L. 110-289, changes many laws that affect both the housing and mortgage markets. Included in the act are provisions to strengthen and to unify oversight of the housing government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs - Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Banks). The Treasury is authorized to lend or invest an unlimited amount of money in any of the regulated entities in the event of financial or mortgage market emergencies. Other provisions address mortgage licensing, revise Federal Housing Administration (FHA) operations, protect (for a limited time) service members against home foreclosures, promote redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed homes, and assist disabled veterans with special housing needs. The act also contains housing related tax provisions. This report surveys the most important of these changes."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Jickling, Mark; Foote, B. Ellington; Weiss, N. Eric . . .
2008-09-30
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Proposed Funding for Education in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 [January 22, 2009]
"On January 15, 2009, the House Committee on Appropriations released a draft version of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The primary purposes of the act focus on promoting economic recovery, assisting those most affected by the recession, improving economic efficiency by 'spurring technological advances in science and health,' investing in infrastructure, and stabilizing state and local government budgets. As part of this act, funds would be provided to several existing education programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education (ED), including programs authorized by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The ARRA would also create new programs that would support school construction at the elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education levels and provide general funds for education to support state fiscal stabilization. This report provides a brief overview of the key provisions related to education programs that are or would be administered by ED that were included in the act under Title IX (Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education) and Title XII (State Fiscal Stabilization Fund). It also provides estimates of state grants for programs for which these estimates are relevant and for which data needed to produce the estimates are available. The report will be updated as warranted by legislative action."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Skinner, Rebecca; Smole, David P.; Lordeman, Ann . . .
2009-01-22
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Domestic Abuse: DOD Needs to Enhance Its Prevention, Response, and Oversight, Statement of Brenda S. Farrell, Director, Defense Capabilities and Management, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Military Personnel, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives
From the Document: "My testimony today summarizes our May 2021 report on domestic abuse in the military, which included 32 recommendations to DOD and the military services to improve their domestic abuse prevention and response, as well as their oversight activities. DOD concurred with each of the recommendations. This testimony will focus on some of the key findings from the report, including the extent to which 1) DOD has met statutory requirements to collect and report complete data on reports of domestic abuse and 2) DOD and the military services have implemented and overseen domestic abuse prevention and response activities, including commanders' disposition of incidents, in accordance with DOD policy."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Farrell, Brenda S.
2021-05-25
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 2453, Driving for Opportunity Act of 2021
This is the Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the House Committee on the Judiciary on April 20, 2021. From the Document: "H.R. 2453 would authorize the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish a grant program to cover costs incurred by states for reinstating drivers' licenses that have been suspended for unpaid fees and fines. It also would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report to the Congress on the program's implementation. In addition, the bill would repeal a provision of law that requires the Federal Highway Administration to withhold a portion of highway grants from states that do not revoke or suspend the licenses of people convicted of drug offenses."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2021-05-26
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Federal Budget: A Few Agencies and Program-Specific Factors Explain Most Unused Funds, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Laws limit the time that agencies have available to use fixed-term appropriations for obligations and expenditures. However, agencies do not always obligate and outlay these funds in time, which ultimately results in cancelled appropriations. Efforts to limit the amount of cancelled appropriations result in more accurate budget estimation and fiscal projections, a more efficient appropriations process, and better service to the public. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review the status of cancelled appropriations. This report addresses (1) the extent of appropriations that were cancelled in fiscal years 2009 through 2019 and how the rate of cancelled appropriations and other characteristics differ across agencies, (2) factors that contribute to the level of cancelled appropriations in selected accounts at agencies, and (3) efforts selected agencies make to prevent the cancellation of funds."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-05
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Cybersecurity: Federal Agencies Need to Implement Recommendations to Manage Supply Chain Risks, Statement of Vijay A. D'Souza, Director, Information Technology and Cybersecurity, Testimony Before the Subcommittees on Investigations and Oversight and Research and Technology, Committee on Science, Space and Technology, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "Federal agencies rely extensively on ICT [information and communication technology] products and services (e.g., computing systems, software, and networks) to carry out their operations. However, agencies face numerous ICT supply chain risks, including threats posed by malicious actors who may exploit vulnerabilities in the supply chain and, thus, compromise the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of an organization's systems and the information they contain. Recent events involving a software supply chain compromise of SolarWinds Orion, a network management software suite, and the shutdown of a major U.S. fuel pipeline due to a cyberattack highlight the significance of these threats. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to testify on federal agencies' efforts to manage ICT supply chain risks. Specifically, GAO (1) describes the federal government's actions in response to the compromise of SolarWinds and (2) summarizes its prior report on the extent to which federal agencies implemented foundational ICT supply chain risk management practices. To do so, GAO reviewed its previously published reports and related information. GAO has ongoing work examining federal agencies' responses to SolarWinds and plans to issue a report on this in fall 2021."
United States. Government Accountability Office
D'Souza, Vijay A.
2021-05-25
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HSIN 2016 Annual Report
From the Executive Summary: "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has a vital mission--keeping Americans safe-- which means protecting our borders, our people and our nation. Information sharing is the centerpiece to this vital mission and the Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN) is integral to homeland security partners' ability to meet their operational needs. [...] In fiscal year (FY) 2016, new HSIN registered users increased by nearly 32 percent, to over 69,000 users. HSIN continuously developed new tools, provided training and offered operational expertise to users who relied on the program to do their jobs effectively. The HSIN Program is committed to operational excellence and fiscal responsibility, maximizing efficiency across the homeland security information sharing environment to ensure resources are most effectively applied to national security efforts. This year's report provides a detailed analysis of the integral role HSIN plays as part of today's homeland security mission."
Homeland Security Information Network (U.S.)
2017-07-18?
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China's Healthcare System: Addressing Capacity Shortfalls Before and After COVID-19
From the Introduction: "The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) views the delivery of high-quality healthcare as an important aspect of its own political legitimacy. While China's government has made significant improvements to healthcare in the past decade, the healthcare system has not kept pace with many of the changing needs of China's population. As life expectancy has increased in China, so too has the burden of chronic diseases and the need for long-term and hospice care--problems the healthcare system remains underequipped to address. These problems are compounded by persistent budget shortfalls in many of China's healthcare institutions that contribute to a widespread corruption problem. Aware of the potential for these challenges to undermine political stability in China, Chinese policymakers have prioritized reform of the healthcare system. This report reviews challenges in China's domestic healthcare system and examines the efforts of China's policymakers to address these challenges. It also examines Chinese policymakers' attempts to promote TCM [traditional Chinese medicine] both domestically and internationally. The report draws on the Commission's May 2020 hearing on 'China's Evolving Healthcare Ecosystem: Challenges and Opportunities' and open source research. It expands on topics explored in Chapter 2, Section 3 of the Commission's 2020 Annual Report, 'U.S.-China Links in Healthcare and Biotechnology.'"
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission
Nelson, Leyton P.
2021-03-31
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Economic Crises and U.S. Agricultural Exports
From the Introduction: "This report examines the effects of economic crises within countries on their agricultural imports, in particular from the United States. Such crises typically have broad macroeconomic consequences, including a contraction in economic output and household income and depreciation of the country's currency. These effects can reduce the country's imports. The United States is a major exporter of agricultural products, with a large share of the sector's output sold abroad. Over the period 2008-16, exports accounted for 20 percent of the total market for U.S. agricultural production (ERS [Economic Research Service] topic page). Therefore, economic crises in foreign markets can be a major source of instability for U.S. agricultural exports and, consequently, for the income and welfare of U.S. farmers, ranchers, growers, and food processors."
United States. Department of Agriculture. Economic Research Service
Liefert, William; Mitchell, Lorraine; Seeley, Ralph M.
2021-04
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Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN): 2019 Annual Report
From the Executive Summary: "In the area of cybersecurity, more than 80 government agencies use HSIN [Homeland Security Information Network] to participate in the Cyber Intelligence Network (CIN), which was established by the National Fusion Center Association. In FY19, the CIN launched its 24/7 National Cyber Situational Awareness Room (SitRoom) on HSIN. More than 550 cyber analysts and investigators across all 50 states use the SitRoom to share and analyze raw data to develop plans to prevent the next incident from occurring. In another cyber initiative, over 850 participants used HSIN for the Cyber Shield 19 exercise. The major exercise involved State National Guards from approximately 40 states, multiple fusion centers and metropolitan law enforcement agencies, and over 20 organizations representing industry and academia. HSIN also played a key role in the Elections Infrastructure Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC), which allowed state and local jurisdictions to have access to a dedicated venue to share information about cyber threats and vulnerabilities specific to election systems."
Homeland Security Information Network (U.S.)
2020-03-27?
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HSIN 2017 Annual Report
From the Executive Summary: "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has a vital mission--keeping Americans safe-- which means protecting our borders, our people and our nation. Information sharing is the centerpiece to this vital mission and the Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN) is integral to homeland security partners' ability to meet their operational needs [...] This year's report provides a detailed analysis of the integral role HSIN plays in support of the homeland security mission. In fiscal year (FY) 2017, new HSIN registered users increased by 36 percent and expanded its presence across DHS and among state, local, tribal, territorial, private sector and international users. At the end of FY 2017, 7,801 federated users had access to HSIN. In step with this growth, HSIN grew its capabilities through operational enhancements to support its users and the DHS mission."
Homeland Security Information Network (U.S.)
2018-03-16?
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HSIN 2018 Annual Report
From the Executive Summary: "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has a vital mission--safeguard the American people, our homeland and our values. Information sharing is the centerpiece of this vital mission and the Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN) is integral to supporting public safety and other partners' ability to meet their operational needs. Real-time information sharing and collaboration provided by HSIN accelerates decision making, streamlines operational processes and allows homeland security partners across federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, international, non-profit and private sectors to contribute to mission success. Prior to HSIN, timely coordination between homeland security partners proved challenging due to incompatible communications systems. Today, organizations across all levels of government and the private sector can use HSIN as a single, secure platform to communicate rapidly and make informed decisions about daily operations, unplanned incidents and planned events. Throughout FY 2018, HSIN continued to bring together the people, processes and technology needed to enhance information sharing across the homeland security environment."
Homeland Security Information Network (U.S.)
2019-08-19?
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Qui Tam: An Abridged Look at the False Claims Act and Related Federal Statutes [Updated April 26, 2021]
From the Introduction: "Qui tam is a whistleblower concept. It is the process whereby an individual sues or prosecutes in the name of the government and shares in the proceeds of any successful litigation or settlement. Although frequently punitive, it is generally a civil proceeding. Unlike antitrust, RICO [Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act], and other federal punitive-damage, private-attorney-general provisions, the individual who brings the suit in the name of the United States (called a relator) need not have been a victim of the misconduct giving rise to the litigation. The name qui tam is the shortened version of an oft-abbreviated Latin phrase which roughly translates to 'he who prosecutes for himself as well as for the King.' [...] [Q]ui tam has been authorized by legislative bodies when they consider the enforcement of some law beyond the unaided capacity or interest of authorized law enforcement officials. Best known of the contemporary members of the line is the federal False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733). From 1986 until expansion of the Act in 2009, Justice Department recoveries totaled in excess of $20 billion. Since then, the Justice Department has recovered over $40 billion, including over $3 billion in FY 2019. This is a brief discussion of the history of federal qui tam provisions; of the two existing federal qui tam statutes--the False Claims Act and an Indian protection provision--and of the constitutional questions raised by federal qui tam provisions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Doyle, Charles
2021-04-26
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#DeplatformIcke: How Big Tech Powers and Profits from David Icke's Lies and Hate, and Why it Must Stop
From the Introduction: "For many people, David Icke is a joke, whose public life ended when he declared himself the 'son of God' live on the BBC thirty years ago. In truth that interview was the start of a new and profitable career as a professional conspiracy theorist, in which Icke has spent decades promoting bigotry and misinformation. Icke's popularity was turbocharged by social media, where he has an audience of two million followers. His website is one of the 1,000 most popular in the UK. Recent polling by Hope Not Hate revealed that more than half of the UK population have heard of Icke. The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, however, has clarified the threat David Icke poses to public safety. His conspiracy theories about COVID-19 have been viewed over 30 million times on social media, making him the leading producer of misinformation on the disease. [...] The only way to rein in Icke's hate and misinformation is to deplatform him now, before inaction on his lies and hate end up costing lives."
Center for Countering Digital Hate
2020
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Flood-Inundation Maps for the South Platte River at Fort Morgan, Colorado, 2018
"In 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), studied floods in the historic record to produce a library of flood-inundation maps for the South Platte River at Fort Morgan, Colorado. Digital flood-inundation maps for a 4.5-mile (7.2-kilometers) reach of the South Platte River at Fort Morgan from Morgan County Road 16 to Morgan County Road 20.5, were created. The flood-inundation maps depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (stages) at the U.S. Geological Survey streamgage on the South Platte River at Fort Morgan (streamgage number 06759500)."
Geological Survey (U.S.)
Kohn, Michael S.; Patton, Thuy T.
2018
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Qui Tam: The False Claims Act and Related Federal Statutes [Updated April 26, 2021]
From the Introduction: "Qui tam is a whistleblower concept. It is the process whereby an individual sues or prosecutes in the name of the government and shares in the proceeds of any successful litigation or settlement. Although frequently punitive, it is generally a civil proceeding. Unlike antitrust, RICO [Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act], and other federal punitive-damage, private-attorney-general provisions, the individual who brings the suit in the name of the United States (called a relator) need not have been a victim of the misconduct giving rise to the litigation. The name qui tam is the shortened version of an oft abbreviated Latin phrase which roughly translates to 'he who prosecutes for himself as well as for the King.' Qui tam comes to us from before the dawn of the common law. Reviled at various times throughout the ages as a breeding ground for 'viperous vermin' and parasites, qui tam has been authorized by legislative bodies when they consider the enforcement of some law beyond the unaided capacity or interest of authorized law enforcement officials. Best known of the contemporary members of the line is the federal False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733). From 1986 until expansion of the Act in 2009, Justice Department recoveries totaled in excess of $20 billion. Since then, the Justice Department has recovered over $40 billion, including over $3 billion in FY2019. This report discusses the history of federal qui tam provisions; the two existing federal qui tam statutes--the False Claims Act and an Indian protection provision; and the constitutional questions raised by federal qui tam provisions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Doyle, Charles
2021-04-26
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COVID-19: Make it the Last Pandemic
From the Introduction: "The world is still in the midst of a pandemic that has spread wider and faster than any in human history. The social and economic crisis precipitated by COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] is affecting families, communities and nations across the globe. [...] The Panel has examined the state of pandemic preparedness prior to COVID-19, the circumstances of the identification of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2]) and the disease it causes, coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and responses globally, regionally and nationally, particularly in the pandemic's early months. It has also analysed the wide-ranging impact of the pandemic and the ongoing social and economic crisis that it has precipitated. This report presents the Panel's findings on what happened, the lessons to be learned from that, and our recommendations for strategic action now to end this pandemic and to ensure that any future infectious disease outbreak does not become a catastrophic pandemic."
Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response
2021-05
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Social Costs of the COVID-19 Pandemic
From the Introduction: "The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response commissioned a background paper to guide discussions and inform recommendations on the wider impacts of the Covid-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. [...] The paper is in three main sections: 1) Context and background data; 2) Analysis of the consequences of the pandemic on selected social dimensions; and 3) Building back through integrated and resilient systems. The analysis highlights regional differences and specific country or regional examples to illustrate the issues in the social dimensions discussed in this paper. The social dimensions of Covid-19 impacts that this background paper covers are: income losses and poverty levels; the labour market; education and gender dimensions. For many people across age groups, backgrounds and geographies the pandemic has compounded other dimensions of vulnerability, making the challenges of navigating the pandemic more acute. These overlapping vulnerabilities are highlighted throughout the paper."
Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response; Overseas Development Institute (London, England)
Pereznieto, Paola; Oehler, Ilse
2021-05
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From Science to Policy: Provision of Technical and Strategic Guidance Based on Evidence by WHO
From the Document: "This paper includes an overview and analysis of the role of WHO [World Health Organization] in evidence curation and conveying during the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic and an assessment of the adequacy and timeliness of mechanisms used. It is based on a comprehensive document and literature review, experts' consultations and a roundtable discussion on 'From Science to Policy' held by The Independent Panel on January 14, 2021. In addition, in-depth analysis on temporary recommendations, with a focus on travel-related measures and on community face masks have been included."
Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response
2021-05?
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Impact on Essential Health Services
From the Introduction: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic has led to disruptions in essential health services in countries around the world with discontinuation occurring on both the demand and supply side. Factors include cancelation of elective and preventive procedures, personnel and supply shortages, and reductions in care-seeking driven by fear of contagion and pandemic-related movement restrictions. This paper reviews the impact of COVID-19 on essential health services and health systems, including on human resources for health, and recommends strategies for improving continuity of care during health emergencies."
Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response
2021-05
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Building on the Past
From the Summary: "All of the previous panels and commissions included in this analysis have identified similar gaps and challenges in the outbreak / pandemic preparedness, alert and response system, both on the international and national level. Their recommendations can be categorized in four key areas: WHO [World Health Organization], International Health Regulations (IHR), Global Health Security and Global Health Governance. The reports of most of the panels concluded that 'WHO needs to strengthen its role as the leading and coordinating organization' in the field of health, focusing both on its normative work, but also by building up unified, effective operational capacity for health emergencies. [...] Improving government transparency and accountability, empowering citizens and strengthening civil society as well as addressing and taking into account the gender dimensions within outbreak preparedness and response efforts, are 'additional key recommendations' made by various of the panels included in this short analysis. [...] COVID19 [coronavirus disease 2019] should be the final reason for the global community to strengthen the global and national pandemic preparedness and response systems, to increase resources for their implementation and for establishing well-functioning monitoring, evaluating and accountability mechanisms."
Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response
2021-05
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Centering Communities in Pandemic Preparedness and Response
From the Introduction: "Communities are defined by a common set of social relationships that formulate a shared identity amongst members of a community. There is no specific checklist for what defines a community, and communities may or may not be identified by shared geographic space such as a village or an urban neighborhood, in contrast to an ethnic group that may not have a specific geographic boundary. [...] The term community engagement is often used to describe the 'process of developing relationships that enable people of a community and organizations to work together to address health-related issues and promote well-being to achieve positive health impact and outcomes'. There is ample evidence that community engagement is vital for containing disease outbreaks as the recent Ebola outbreak showcased. Inadequate community engagement in designing, planning, and implementing interventions can lead to fear, mistrust, and lack of compliance to public health measures by communities. This paper reviews existing evidence on community engagement in the context of disease outbreaks, examples of community engagement during the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, successes and challenges of these efforts, and the lessons learned to strengthen community resilience during future outbreaks."
Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response
2021-05
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Social and Economic Impact of COVID-19
From the Introduction: "'This paper presents a succinct summary of the existing economic literature on the economic and fiscal impact of the pandemic, and a preliminary estimate of the associated economic cost.' It documents the incidence of initial conditions (with a particular focus on the role of the labour market channel) on the transmission of the shock and the speed and extent of the expected recovery, summarizes how countries attempted to attenuate the economic consequences and the international financial institutions assisted countries, reports preliminary accounts of medium-term COVID [coronavirus disease]-related losses, and concludes with some forward-looking considerations based on the lessons learned in 2020."
Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response
Levy Yeyati, Eduardo; Filippini, Federico
2021-05
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Scaling-Up Vaccine Production Capacity: Legal Challenges and Recommendations
From the Introduction: "This briefing paper aims to contribute to the evidence-based assessment of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness & Response, in particular in its work to ensure equitable access to vaccines and increased manufacturing capacity. 'The world has a normal capacity of production of 3.5 billion doses of vaccines and we now seek to manufacture 10 billion doses,' 'said Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala' [hyperlink], the new World Trade Organization Director General, on her first day in office. This represents an unprecedented and urgent need for scale-up, which is especially true given that most recommended vaccines require two doses, and that it is not clear how long immunity lasts. It may well be that the ramp up in vaccine production is not a one-off, but rather a new annual need. The threat posed by a pandemic outbreak has long been appreciated; pandemic preparedness plans have been discussed and, to some extent, put into practice. One concrete step was the foundation of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) in 2017. CEPI has provided a 'running start' in responding to the Covid-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, in particular with its rapid funding support for Covid-19 vaccine development. Another development specific for Covid-19 has been the creation of COVAX, an initiative that supports the development and manufacture, procurement and equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines. Further, the research and development of Covid-19 vaccines has been largely de-risked by 'vast amounts of public financing from governments' [hyperlink]. But it is already clear that these initiatives, however valuable, will not be enough to ensure global vaccine production scale up."
Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response
Hoen, Ellen F. M. 't; Garrison, Christopher; Boulet, Pascale . . .
2021-05
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Access to Essential Supplies
From the Document: "During the initial stages of the pandemic, the world experienced a serious shortage of essential supplies. The situation was referred to by WHO [World Health Organization] Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as 'one of the most urgent threats to our collective ability to save lives'. This global supply shortage was caused by factors such as lack of access provisions; poor stockpiling; overdependence on a few supplier countries; hoarding, panic buying and protectionism; travel cargo capacity restrictions; and a lack of immediate funding for procurement by LMICs [low- and middle-income countries]. The dynamics and key drivers of supply shortages varied by type of essential supply. The WHO and other institutions established the UN COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Supply Chain System (CSCS) in response to the shortage. Survey results showed it provided ~50% of PPE [personal protective equipment], diagnostics, and biomedical supplies procured by LMICs. Even so it left an enormous gap in supply, as the system was only operationalized in May 2020 - months into the pandemic. Other major channels such as the World Bank did not sufficiently address the huge gap due to operational delays. This led to some positive changes as well- e.g., building of regional procurement capacity (e.g., in Africa) and manufacturing capacity for PPE in India. [...] This paper reviews how essential supplies such as personal protective equipment (PPE), test kits, and oxygen equipment were produced, allocated and delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic. It proposes ways in which the supply system can be managed differently to ensure equitable and effective access to these essential supplies."
Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response
2021-05
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Financing Pandemic Preparedness and Response
From the Introduction: "While COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] has raised many new questions about global health functions and how they are delivered, it has removed any doubt surrounding our readiness for a public health emergency with pandemic potential. The international community systematically underinvested in preparedness for decades and delayed financing for response when the outbreak hit, investments and actions that could have saved millions of lives and trillions of dollars in economic output. A new approach is needed. In this paper we briefly discuss the reasons for underinvestment in pandemic preparedness and response and review the performance of recent attempts to finance readiness capabilities and early actions that could contain outbreaks with pandemic potential. We argue that the international system lacks the financing architecture required to coordinate and accelerate investment in the global public goods required to contain outbreaks, and we derive a set of principles towards which reforms to the financing architecture should be oriented. Finally, we present a proposal for an international financing facility for pandemic preparedness and response, which embodies these principles."
Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response
Radin, Elizabeth; Eleftheriades, Chris
2021-05?
