The importance of civil society in pandemic preparedness. A conversation with Carolyn Reynolds from the Pandemic Action Network

Our guest this week is Carolyn Reynolds, Co-founder of the Pandemic Action Network (PAN). 

In this episode we discuss how Carolyn’s involvement in the response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa led her to co-found PAN; and what PAN works to achieve, particularly in the lead up to the high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response later this year. 

We also discuss:

• Some of PAN’s accomplishments responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and preventing future pandemics. 
• The role PAN has played in the creation of The Pandemic Fund. 
• What it means to have a civil society voice for pandemic preparedness.

As well as her work with PAN, Carolyn is also a Global Health Policy Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, an expert adviser to the Commission on Strengthening America’s Health Security, and a Distinguished Fellow at The George Institute for Global Health. She has served as a senior adviser to international organizations, including the Global Financing Facility, World Bank, WHO, and Global Preparedness Monitoring Board.

You can find out more about the Pandemic Action Network here. You can also follow PAN on Twitter at @PandemicAction.

More on the World Bank’s announcement of the first round of funding for The Pandemic Fund is available at this link. 

We encourage you to join the conversation on Twitter at @CentreHealthSec and @AusAmbRHS