| Corporate Pandemic Preparedness |
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| The SARS outbreak—which never reached pandemic status, but spread quickly from a single case in rural China—resulted in billions of dollars in economic damage. Nonetheless, according to a report by Marsh and the Albright Group, many in the private and public sector have yet to take into account the devastating social and economic consequences of a true pandemic for their organizations. This report and other Marsh resources can help organizations to understand, evaluate, and prepare for this emerging threat.
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The threat of a long-lasting pandemic has been on the horizon for several years, with avian flu the most recent example of a severe outbreak waiting to happen. However, the catastrophic social and economic impacts of a pandemic are likely to vastly exceed what most corporate and governmental leaders have imagined, or are prepared for.
Marsh and the Albright Group, with funding through an educational grant by Roche, recently issued a new report to help better gauge global markets' needs in the event of a pandemic. The report, Corporate Pandemic Preparedness: Current Challenges to and Best Practices for Building a More Resilient Enterprise, has two primary focuses: social and economic.
The social impact looks at the health and well-being of citizens, families, employees, customers, and business partners. The economic impact includes a deeper understanding of the potential for disruption of operations and supply chains, as well as diminishing or fluxing demand for products and services.
The report also notes that outbreaks will likely move along modern transportation and distribution chains, with transportation hubs being especially vulnerable. Disruption at these hubs will be significant and could have an irreversible impact on businesses.
In addition to these insights, the report lays out a number of best practices that leaders can use to improve their state of pandemic preparedness.
Some include:
- Treating a pandemic as a truly catastrophic event versus a "manageable disruption;"
- Establishing pandemic planning committees, supported by an actual budget;
- Prioritizing critical products and services and preparing to protect those, even at the expense of other important elements of a business model; and
- Estimating and planning for post-pandemic changes, including shifts in demand patterns, in the availability and morale of staff, and in infrastructure, both locally and to vendors.
A copy of the full Marsh/Albright Group report can be downloaded after completing this registration form.
Business Continuity Preparedness Survey
Test your level of business continuity preparedness for avian flu with this brief survey. Your results and recommendations for next steps will be e-mailed to you.
Risk Alert – Avian Flu: Preparing for a Pandemic
Experts from the Risk Consulting Practice, Marsh and affiliated companies, Kroll and Mercer Management Consulting, contributed to the latest edition of Risk Alert. This white paper provides background information on avian and human influenza pandemics; discusses corporate preparedness and business continuity management (BCM) considerations; highlights the international implications of a pandemic; and outlines some potential insurance coverage issues related to pandemics.
New Reality of Risk Panel Discussion — Preparing for a Pandemic
A discussion by CDC, Risk Consulting Practice, Marsh, Kroll and Mercer experts about the potential dangers of avian flu, its impact on business continuity, emergency and work force management; and potential workers’ compensation and insurance coverage issues.
At Risk — Business Health Could Suffer from Avian Flu
A brief overview of some of the avian flu issues, and business continuity and insurance coverage issues. Available in English and Spanish.
Preparing Employers and Employees for an Avian Flu Pandemic
Mercer Human Resources Consulting's Web site has several resources to assist organizations in protecting the well-being of their employees in the event of a pandemic.
Recommended Links to Major Government and NGO Web Sites
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