How to Prevent the Next Pandemic

2022 book by Bill Gates

How to Prevent the Next Pandemic

Cover of the first edition

Author| Bill Gates
Language| English
Subjects|

* COVID-19 pandemic
* pandemic preparation

Published| April 2022
Pages| 304
|  | This article is part of
a series about
Bill Gates

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Personal

* Awards and honors
* Philanthropy
* Political positions
* Public image
* Residence

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Companies

* Traf-O-Data
* Microsoft
* history
* timeline
* criticism
* BENlabs
* Cascade Investment
* TerraPower
* Gates Ventures

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Charitable organizations

* Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
* Match for Africa
* The Giving Pledge
* OER Project
* Breakthrough Energy
* Mission Innovation

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Writings

* "An Open Letter to Hobbyists"
* The Road Ahead
* Business @ the Speed of Thought
* How to Avoid a Climate Disaster
* How to Prevent the Next Pandemic
* Source Code: My Beginnings

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Related

* Bill Gates' flower fly
* Codex Leicester
* Lost on the Grand Banks
* Paul Allen

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How to Prevent the Next Pandemic is a 2022 book by Bill Gates. In it, Gates details the COVID-19 pandemic and how to prevent another pandemic, including proposing a "Global Epidemic Response and Mobilization" (GERM) team with annual funding of $1 billion.[1][2]

## Content

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The book discusses various aspects related to the prevention of pandemics, including medical practices necessary for doing so.[3]

Bill Gates' main idea is to create a global pandemic prevention team, known as GERM (Global Epidemic Response and Mobilization). Its objective is to ensure preparedness for the next pandemic.[4]

According to Gates, such a team could save about one billion dollars by preventing crises like COVID-19.[5]

## Reception

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The Washington Post praised the book, saying that "The material is simplified but not simplistic. Anyone who reads it will end up with a basic grounding in the science of global health."[2]

The Times of London gave a mixed review, calling the book a "formidably informative read" while also saying that it "runs out of steam towards the end and becomes a general statement of techno-optimism."[6]

Vox criticized the book for not addressing the "root causes" of economic inequality that "worsens health crises."[7] The Washington Times called Gates' pandemic prevention proposal "the next phase of seizing individual liberties from supposedly free American citizens." and accused him of "trying to capitalize politically and financially on the ramped fears and manufactured hysteria".[8]

The medical journal The Lancet pointed out that on the same day that Gates advertised his book and GERM, the WHO published its report on Strengthening the Global Architecture for Health Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Resilience, similar to GERM, but without decision-making power.[9]

The Guardian noted that the book demonstrates the awareness of the impact of information technology in the spread of COVID-19 misinformation, but criticizes Gates' lack of interest in directly taking initiative to prevent COVID-19 misinformation from spreading via information technology.[3]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Vaughan, Adam (May 2, 2022). "How to Prevent the Next Pandemic review: Bill Gates's timely blueprint". New Scientist.
2. ^ a b Gerson, Michael (May 10, 2022). "Bill Gates's new pandemic book presents a plea and a plan". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
3. ^ a b "How to Prevent the Next Pandemic by Bill Gates review – a germ of an idea". TheGuardian.com. May 29, 2022.
4. ^ "BugBitten Bill Gates suggests sensible technical steps to prevent the next pandemic". blogs.biomedcentral.com. September 2, 2022. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
5. ^ Gates, Bill (March 19, 2023). "Opinion | Bill Gates: 'I Worry We're Making the Same Mistakes Again'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
6. ^ Appleyard, Bryan (May 8, 2022). "How to Prevent the Next Pandemic by Bill Gates review". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
7. ^ Kim, Whizy (May 10, 2022). "The major blind spot in Bill Gates's pandemic prevention plan". Vox. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
8. ^ Chumley, Cheryl K. (June 11, 2022). "Bill Gates wants $1 billion annually to prevent next pandemic". The Washington Times. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
9. ^ Horton, Richard (May 14, 2022). "Offline: Bill Gates and the fate of WHO". The Lancet. 399 (10338): 1853. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(22)00874-1. ISSN 0140-6736. PMID 35569450. S2CID 248726392.

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Bill Gates

Career|

* Microsoft
* history
* Paul Allen
* Gates Foundation (CEPI)
* Corbis (BEN)
* Cascade Investment
* United States v. Microsoft antitrust case
* TerraPower
* Gates Ventures
* OER Project
* Breakthrough Energy

Writings|

* "An Open Letter to Hobbyists" (1976)
* The Road Ahead (1995)
* Business @ the Speed of Thought (1999)
* How to Avoid a Climate Disaster (2021)
* How to Prevent the Next Pandemic (2022)
* Source Code (2025)

Philanthropy|

* Gates Foundation
* Match for Africa
* climate change
* donations and sporting events

Films|

* Triumph of the Nerds (1996)
* Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999)
* The Social Network (2010)
* Inside Bill's Brain: Decoding Bill Gates (2019)

Family|

* Melinda French Gates (ex-wife)
* Bill Gates Sr. (father)
* Mary Maxwell Gates (mother)
* Mimi Gardner Gates (stepmother)

Possessions|

* Codex Leicester
* Residence
* Lost on the Grand Banks
* Porsche 959

* Category
* Commons

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