PRET Initiative
✓The Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET) Initiative was launched by the WHO and operates under the aegis of the INTERNATIONAL health regulations ( IHR) 2005, which is a critical international legal instrument for managing public health emergencies.
✓The initiative was announced at the Global Meeting for Future Respiratory Pathogen Pandemics held in Geneva, Switzerland.
✓Aim:
It focuses on improving pandemic preparedness for groups of pathogens based on their mode of transmission.
✓Three Tiers of Pandemic Preparedness: It recognizes that there are three tiers of systems and capacities relevant to pandemic preparedness:
those that are cross-cutting for all or multi-hazards
those that are relevant for groups of pathogens (respiratory, arboviruses etc.)
those that are specific to a pathogen.
✓Coordinating Efforts:
As part of its efforts, the WHO convenes an informal coordination forum known as the Respiratory Pathogens Partners Engagement Forum (R-PEF) which enables WHO and partners to exchange information on planned activities and other developments on planned activities.
