Hard hats, AI and a fake pandemic: the group of former world leaders practising to save the world

A bout a dozen people sat around a boardroom table at the emergency hub of the World Health Organization (WHO) just outside Nairobi last Thursday, their eyes glued to an animated presentation on a screen. Health workers in eastern Chad have reported several deaths among patients with respiratory failure, they are told. Initial samples suggest a novel variant of bird flu, but confirmation requires sending samples to a foreign laboratory.

International health regulations require notification within 24 hours of assessment, but Chad’s government is hesitant to notify the WHO, fearing economic repercussions and stigma. It is a hypothetical pandemic outbreak, and the people at the table include some of the continent’s most revered figures: members of the Elders, a group of former presidents and world leaders founded in 2007 by Nelson Mandela, the idea being to use their collective wisdom to tackle global crises . This group of the Elders are, alongside WHO representatives, taking part in the simulation to better understand how Africa is preparing for the next pandemic, to counter emerging infectious diseases and health security threats, and enable them to advocate for greater readiness and a better response. The group listens to a presentation about how the WHO supports African countries. Ernesto Zedillo, a former president of Mexico. He thinks incentives for governments “to do the right thing” are needed. “What will the international community do to reassure governments that this is not only their duty but that they will be acknowledged as being compliant?” he asks, citing South Africa’s feeling of being punished with travel bans and restrictions for detecting a new Covid-19 variant during the pandemic in 2021. On the opposite side of the table, Zeid bin Ra’ad bin Zeid al-Hussein, a former UN high commissioner for human rights, says that health policymakers should model their response on what is working in other sectors. “What I think we need to do,” he says, “is look at the stronger systems that we have – where you have really strong verification – and say, ‘Why don’t we bring up the rest of these systems to meet them?’” Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a former Liberian president, says problems complying with international regulations on reporting pandemics often stem from weak healthcare systems. “Most times, it is not a lack of political will as much as it is a failure of the systemic capability,” she says. For about an hour, the Elders go through scenarios and exercises demonstrating real-time decision-making on how geopolitical, climate and conflict risks can worsen response to outbreaks. They draw on their collective experience and wisdom from past outbreaks during their times as leaders.

Key points

• International health regulations require notification within 24 hours of assessment, but Chad’s government is hesitant to notify the WHO, fearing economic repercussions and stigma.
• It is a hypothetical pandemic outbreak, and the people at the table include some of the continent’s most revered figures: members of the Elders, a group of former presidents and world leaders found…
• This group of the Elders are, alongside WHO representatives, taking part in the simulation to better understand how Africa is preparing for the next pandemic, to counter emerging infectious disease…
• The group listens to a presentation about how the WHO supports African countries.
• Ernesto Zedillo, a former president of Mexico.