Prepping for the next pandemic: How the tiny Kingdom of Bhutan aims to lead the world

Bhutan Health Minister Dechen Wangmo is already thinking about the next pandemic. She is leading work on the World Health Organization’s global pandemic treaty, with the goal of improving preparedness and laying the foundation for a more nimble, humane, and equitable response. Wangmo comes to the task after presiding over an exceptionally effective pandemic response in her own nation, which has reported fewer than two dozen deaths due to COVID. In this fireside chat, she’ll talk about the pandemic negotiations, looming threats to population health, and her own remarkable journey as a public health leader. This previously recorded conversation will premiere on our YouTube page on Oct. 4th at 1 p.m. ET.

SPEAKER 

Dechen Wangmo, Health Minister of the Kingdom of Bhutan since 2018  

MODERATOR 

Madeline Drexler, Boston-based Journalist; Visiting Scientist at Harvard Chan School; Former Editor of Harvard Public Health magazine