Lessons Learned for Future Pandemic Preparedness

The IAA has convened the Pandemics Task Force (PTF) to provide guidance regarding future pandemic-related risks, pandemic preparedness, and the sound design of financial security programs to actuaries, actuarial organizations and other interested parties and organizations. A great body of work has already been created by actuarial organizations and others and the task force will leverage this work.

The PTF's first project is a brief paper on lessons learned from past pandemics, most notably COVID-19 and AIDS. We will present highlights of the upcoming paper, which will cover the following:

• Take stock of where we are as the effects of COVID-19 pandemic begin to wane;
• Provide advice and direction for the actuarial profession for responding to future pandemics;
• Showcase what the actuarial profession has done in terms of data analysis, modelling;
• Respond to the work of other supranational organizations such as the IAIS or OECD; and
• Provide an overview of best and worst practices for collecting and working with reported data.