Media contact:
Carol Miller
carolmiller@jhu.edu
+1-202-202-306-0130
GLOBAL BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT LEADERS PLAY IN PANDEMIC EXERCISE DEMONSTRATING WORLD’S NEED FOR NEW PARTNERSHIPS TO DIMINISH LARGE-SCALE ECONOMIC AND SOCIETAL CONSEQUENCES OF PANDEMICS
Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in partnership with the World Economic Forum and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation host the exercise October 18 in New York City and virtually
The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is hosting Event 201, a 3.5-hour multimedia pandemic simulation involving 16 leaders of global businesses, governments and public health on Friday, Oct. 18, 8:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m., in New York City. Live observation of Event 201 is by invitation and media is welcome. The Center for Health Security is part of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
The pandemic exercise will also be livestreamed to the public 8:50 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. with a break at about 10:15. Participants pre-register and view at http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/event201/). Live coverage of the scenario (including video updates and live briefings) will be shown, but discussions at the table among leaders playing roles will be seen only by the in-person audience. Online viewers will participate in their own moderated discussions during those times.
The world has seen a growing number of epidemic events in recent years—approximately 200 annually. A large global pandemic (such as an Event 201) would be disruptive to health, economies, and society. Recent economic studies show that pandemics could be the cause of an average annual economic loss of 0.7% of global GDP—or $570 billion.
While the public sector is the front line of defence against pandemics, most of the resources and capabilities exist in the private sector. Like the Center’s previous preparedness exercises—Clade X, Dark Winter, and Atlantic Storm—Event 201 participants will work through the complex policy, ethical, financial and political challenges they would face were a serious health crisis to reach pandemic levels. This will be a unique pandemic exercise to engage industry leaders with governments and the pandemic response community.
WHAT: Event 201 is a multimedia pandemic exercise played by leaders of governments, policy, public health, and global businesses from industries essential to pandemic response and keeping economies and society moving during a severe, highly transmissible intercontinental outbreak. The simulation will underscore the need for the inclusion of private industry, along with business-government collaboration, in planning ahead to mitigate the devastating worldwide economic and societal impact of pandemics. A simultaneous live online virtual version of the exercise is open to the public. Participants in the virtual exercise will see the same simulated newscasts, briefings, and questions as the live participants in New York but will engage in a separate online discussion of the topics raised.
WHEN: Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, 8:45 a.m.– 12:30 p.m. EDT (Virtual exercise 8:50 a.m.)
WHERE: The Pierre, 2 East 61st Street at Fifth Ave., New York City
WHO: Exercise participants:
The following may be available for interviews upon request:
The exercise is supported by funding from the Open Philanthropy Project.
Read more at www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/event201.
WEBSITE AND SOCIAL:
MEDIA INFORMATION:
Please remind audiences THIS IS A FICTIONAL EXERCISE AND DISEASE
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