With the current outbreak of Ebola in West Africa, and the cases in the United States and Europe, many companies are pulling out their pandemic plans for guidance. The work done for the Avian Flu a few years ago will be quite instructive for this type of emergency. Although this white papers were designed for a particular critical infrastructure, they will be helpful for any company in preparing for a disease outbreak.
In 2007, Roche Pharmaceuticals awarded a grant to Regina Phelps and EMS Solutions to conduct a series of executive roundtables with the goal of deepening the conversation regarding pandemic planning. The focus was on three specific areas: human resources, business continuity and legal/reputational risk. Participants came to share what is working in their companies, think creatively about their pandemic quandaries and discuss pressing concerns such as ‘pandemic fatigue’ and budget concerns. Attendees participated in experiential exercises, confronting issues likely to arise in a real-world pandemic. These whitepapers are the results of those sessions.
Advanced Pandemic Planning for Food and Agricultural Sector Executives (PDF)
Food and Agricultural Roundtable Whitepaper