Chronic Underfunding of Pandemic Preparedness

Chronic underfunding of pandemic preparedness stands as a catastrophic funding failure that directly cost hundreds of thousands of American lives. Between 2010 and 2019, the U.S. slashed public health emergency preparedness funding by 25%, from $940 million to $705 million, despite multiple expert warnings, including from the 2016 Blue Ribbon Panel. The resulting COVID-19 response cost an estimated $16 trillion globally — a figure that completely dwarfs any conceivable preparedness budget, and the U.S. death toll of over 1.1 million is 50% higher than the runner-up among wealthy nations.