JERSEY is in “a much better place” to cope with the risks from future pandemics or outbreaks of infectious diseases than it was before Covid-19, the director of public health has said.
Professor Peter Bradley said the Island has been working closely with the UK and other Crown Dependencies on pandemic preparedness, which was among the areas of focus at a recent World Health Organisation summit.
The World Health Assembly was originally expected to consider a Pandemic Preparedness Treaty, but following disagreements over information sharing, the WHO has confirmed that it would instead be looking to strengthen its regulations and reach an international agreement.
Responding to a JEP query about what role Jersey played, Professor Bradley said: “The UK has kept us fully informed on developments and have emphasised that they would respect the autonomy of the Crown Dependencies, should the UK sign up to anything in the future.
“No decisions or commitments have been made at this stage, however, in Jersey, we are preparing a new pandemic plan which is in the advanced stage of development.
“Jersey is in a much better position to manage the risks from infectious disease, and other threats to health including any future pandemics, than at the start of the pandemic in 2020.
“There is now an established Public Health team, and a lot of progress has been made putting arrangements in place, as outlined in the Health Protection Review published in 2023.”
Last year’s review outlines the potential for expanding the Public Health workforce, the development of a Health Protection strategy and work towards a new Public Health Law and Civil Contingencies Legislation.
