A Tale of Two Pandemics timeline

A Tale of Two Pandemics: Applying Lessons from Ebola to Drive Innovation for Zika

With the significant international consequences of recent outbreaks, the ITP Lab conducted extensive stakeholder interviews and macro-level health policy analysis to expose gaps in pandemic preparedness and develop legal frameworks for future threats.

Project Team

  • Kushal Kadakia, Public Policy & Global Health
  • Nora Ghanem, Public Policy & Global Health
  • Niveen Hennein, Public Policy & Global Health
  • Christina Langmack, Public Policy & Global Health
  • Malcolm Nowlin, Public Policy & Chemistry
  • Courtney Scoufis, Public Policy & Global Health
  • Julia Tuttle, Global Health & Cultural Anthropology

Mentors:

  • Professor Julia Barnes-Weise, Duke
  • Professor Ana Santos-Rutschman, Duke

Funding:

The Pandemic Problem

  • Emerging infectious disease outbreaks pose a significant health and socioeconomic threat

Research Strategy

Challenges:

  • What motivates players to invest in infectious diseases?

Methodology:

  • Interviewed stakeholders from the public, private, and non-profit sectors
  • Analyzed partnership formation following the Ebola and Zika outbreaks

Stakeholder Analysis

  • Public health imperative drove rapid response of key players
  • Cost of drug development inhibits sustainable investment

Rethinking R&D

  • Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are a model for risk- sharing and innovation
  • Incentives must be tailored to meet unique partner profiles
  • Pandemic response must be proactive and not reactive

Download the complete poster presentation (PDF).