The last two years have left us wondering if we will survive or get through the next pandemic. The response to the Covid-19 pandemic differed from country to country, but one glaringly obvious thing was that the countries with a robust culture of sharing between private and public sectors fared much better than those that didn’t.

Annie Luu moderated a talk about the Covid-19 learnings and what elements countries need to improve to prepare for the next pandemic.

On the panel was Dr. Santitarn Sathirathai, Chris Yeh and Dr. Teeranun Srihong. The panel shared a wealth of experience and knowledge about health, tech, government, and the private sector. They shared their opinions and sometimes humorous personal learnings during the Covid-19 lockdowns.

How do we prepare for the next one?

Dr. Santitarn said that pandemics would become commonplace, and we need to be prepared and use the learning from Covid-19 to equip everyone better to deal with the crisis. He suggested that governments and startups have the foresight to learn from other countries and use that information to implement strategies.

He further advised that countries need to implement a solid social safety net. We all experienced from this pandemic that the lowest income earners suffered the most. For governments to ensure that these people do not suffer any economic hardships, countries need to invest in fiscal resources and data.

Technology will help transform the digital economy and enable health innovations that would improve state entities' reactions to pandemics.

What are the major lessons learned over the last two to three years?

Chris Yeh responded that the one lesson learned from the Covid-19 pandemic is that the government and private sector needs to be able to adapt quickly. With the help of startups, change happens faster, and it is the responsibility of all to learn how to adjust to this rapid change.

Dr. Teeranun speaking from the Thai government's perspective said they learned very quickly to implement digital systems that facilitate patient movement from infection to hospital quickly and safely. This system ensured no bottlenecks at any hospitals around the country.

The Thai government and ministry also learned how to place together everyone who could facilitate and collaborate to solve immediate issues.

How do we ensure the next pandemic doesn’t stop the world?

Each panelist shared ideas regarding the readiness of everyone to respond to the next global pandemic. Firstly, everyone needs to break the silence. There is an urgent need for openness and transparency in times of crisis. If the public is armed with information, they are better equipped to respond to emergencies.

Secondly, more collaboration between the public and private sectors will ensure short-term solutions to long-term problems. For example, offer digital literacy courses to ensure the public is ready to respond to any issues surrounding a pandemic.

Thirdly, the public and private sectors need to tap into the resources of leaders without authority. Those leaders must be empowered and create a safe space to explore and provide ground-level solutions. Those people on the ground see the problems firsthand and can pivot to find immediate solutions.

Ultimately, everyone needs to build resilience and learn to adapt quickly to change. Corporations, startups, and government must provide a safe space for a collaborative community and build diverse networks to allow learnings from each other.b Our preparedness relies on these sectors’ ability to learn, adapt and collaborate quickly.