Revisiting Pandemic Resilience
This white paper reflects on the lessons learned from the COVID-19 response to better prepare for future public health emergencies.
COVID-19 has been the largest public health emergency in 100 years. With vaccinations outpacing infections and a production-to-injection time of just two days, logistics and supply chains have been vital in managing the pandemic.
The Race Against the Virus
Logistics and supply chain management play a key role in pandemic management because they ensure the availability and distribution of key pandemic management tools. This paper takes stock of the lessons learned and achievements one year into the race against COVID-19 and refreshes our view on how to best manage the crisis from this point forward. Moreover, it provides insight as to what will best prepare us to handle future public health emergencies.
Collaboration Is Key
Together, we hope the answers to these questions support the continued dialogue between governments, pharmaceutical manufacturers, life sciences institutes, and the logistics industry, as these are the players that – with their collective power – will need to prepare for and manage the inevitable next public health event.
A Race We All Have to Win
With the lessons learned and the partnerships and capabilities built over the last 12 months, countries now have a wealth of tools and insights at their disposal. Another global health event may be inevitable, but we don’t have to trip over the same hurdles that held us back in 2020. With the right systems in place, the global community will be in a position to start on much better footing and meet the next challenge in a way that minimizes the impact on human lives and the global economy.
Insights Uncovered in the White Paper
| Chapter 1 | The past year has been demanding and full of challenges. However, when taking stock, it becomes clear that there are several achievements across R&D, production, supply chain management, and policy that will help us get through this humanitarian crisis as a global community. | |
| Chapter 2 | By the beginning of 2021, the light at the end of the tunnel had gotten a bit brighter. Vaccination campaigns kicked off in various countries in January, and by the end of April, these campaigns had administered approximately around 1 billion doses globally. | |
| Chapter 3 | The COVID-19 pandemic is a dynamic situation, and so too is the virus that causes it. As more transmissible mutations may very well be responsible for the increasing number of infections, it is not only important to vaccinate the world as quickly as possible but to ensure that immunization is continued in the years to come. As a result of continued vaccination efforts, the supply chain will remain of critical importance. In this section, we explain 3 key aspects to bear in mind going forward. | |
| Chapter 4 | In the same way that runners train between races, we must maintain a level of conditioning that keeps us prepared for the next global health event. Therefore, the need to plan and prepare in order to ensure early identification, efficient containment, and effective remedies are imperative. This chapter sets out 10 key strategic actions across the 3 key categories of public health emergency management. |
Explore the White Papers
The race against the virus: What we’ve learned one year into COVID-19 and how the world’s healthcare supply chains will be ready for the next public health emergency.
Explore Insights and Thought Leadership at DHL
Discover exciting stories and get expert insights from the fascinating world of logistics. Leaf through trend reports or explore potential future worlds; read articles about new innovative solutions and study business cases in which DHL delivered best-in-class logistics solutions.