How to Prevent the Next Pandemic
{{Short description|2022 book by Bill Gates}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox book
| name = How to Prevent the Next Pandemic
| image = Bill Gates - How to Prevent the Next Pandemic.jpg
| border = yes
| alt =
| caption = Cover of the first edition
| author = Bill Gates
| country =
| language = English
| subjects = {{hlist|COVID-19 pandemic|pandemic preparation}}
| published = April 2022
| pages = 304
}}
{{Bill Gates series}}
How to Prevent the Next Pandemic is a 2022 book by Bill Gates. In it, Gates details the COVID-19 pandemic and how to prevent another pandemic, including proposing a "Global Epidemic Response and Mobilization" (GERM) team with annual funding of $1 billion.{{Cite web |last=Vaughan |first=Adam |date=2022-05-02 |title=How to Prevent the Next Pandemic review: Bill Gates's timely blueprint |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2318203-how-to-prevent-the-next-pandemic-review-bill-gatess-timely-blueprint |website=New Scientist}}{{Cite news |last=Gerson |first=Michael |date=2022-05-10 |title=Bill Gates's new pandemic book presents a plea and a plan |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/05/10/bill-gates-covid-how-to-prevent-next-pandemic |access-date=2022-05-11}}
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Content
The book discusses various aspects related to the prevention of pandemics, including medical practices necessary for doing so.
Bill Gates' main idea is to create a global pandemic prevention team, known as GERM (Global Epidemic Response and Mobilization). Its objective is to ensure preparedness for the next pandemic.{{Cite web |date=2022-09-02 |title=BugBitten Bill Gates suggests sensible technical steps to prevent the next pandemic |url=https://blogs.biomedcentral.com/bugbitten/2022/09/02/bill-gates-suggests-sensible-technical-steps-to-prevent-the-next-pandemic/ |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=blogs.biomedcentral.com |language=en-GB}}
According to Gates, such a team could save about one billion dollars by preventing crises like COVID-19.{{Cite news |last=Gates |first=Bill |date=2023-03-19 |title=Opinion {{!}} Bill Gates: ‘I Worry We’re Making the Same Mistakes Again’ |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/19/opinion/bill-gates-pandemic-preparedness-covid.html |access-date=2025-01-29 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
Reception
The Washington Post praised the book, saying that "The material is simplified but not simplistic. Anyone who reads it will end up with a basic grounding in the science of global health."
The Times of London gave a mixed review, calling the book a "formidably informative read" while also saying that it "runs out of steam towards the end and becomes a general statement of techno-optimism."{{Cite news |last=Appleyard |first=Bryan |date=2022-05-08 |title=How to Prevent the Next Pandemic by Bill Gates review |language=en |work=The Times |url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/books/article/how-to-prevent-the-next-pandemic-by-bill-gates-review-w5r3nf2t9 |access-date=2022-05-11 |issn=0140-0460}}
Vox criticized the book for not addressing the "root causes" of economic inequality that "worsens health crises."{{Cite web |last=Kim |first=Whizy |date=2022-05-10 |title=The major blind spot in Bill Gates's pandemic prevention plan |url=https://www.vox.com/recode/2022/5/10/23064197/bill-gates-pandemic-prevention-covid |access-date=2022-05-11 |website=Vox |language=en}} The Washington Times called Gates' pandemic prevention proposal "the next phase of seizing individual liberties from supposedly free American citizens." and accused him of "trying to capitalize politically and financially on the ramped fears and manufactured hysteria".{{Cite web |last=Chumley |first=Cheryl K. |date=2022-06-11 |title=Bill Gates wants $1 billion annually to prevent next pandemic |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/jun/11/bill-gates-wants-1-billion-annually-to-prevent-nex/ |access-date=2022-06-12 |website=The Washington Times |language=en-US}}
The medical journal The Lancet pointed out that on the same day that Gates advertised his book and GERM, the WHO published its report on Strengthening the Global Architecture for Health Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Resilience, similar to GERM, but without decision-making power.{{Cite journal |last=Horton |first=Richard |date=2022-05-14 |title=Offline: Bill Gates and the fate of WHO |journal=The Lancet |language=English |volume=399 |issue=10338 |pages=1853 |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(22)00874-1 |pmid=35569450 |s2cid=248726392 |issn=0140-6736|doi-access=free }}
The Guardian noted that the book demonstrates the awareness of the impact of information technology in the spread of COVID-19 misinformation, but criticizes Gates' lack of interest in directly taking initiative to prevent COVID-19 misinformation from spreading via information technology.{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/may/29/how-to-prevent-the-next-pandemic-by-bill-gates-review-a-germ-of-an-idea | title=How to Prevent the Next Pandemic by Bill Gates review – a germ of an idea | website=TheGuardian.com | date=29 May 2022 }}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Bill Gates}}
Category:Books about the COVID-19 pandemic
Category:2022 non-fiction books
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