Pandemic Simulation

One week ago, a passenger at Dublin Airport in the Republic of Ireland collapsed with a piercing headache during a direct flight to Los Angeles, CA. Upon landing at LAX, the passenger awoke displaying extreme aggression and began attacking fellow passengers. The attacking passenger was arrested and detained at a local hospital for observation, but passed away within three days. Now, thousands of cases of headache, collapse, and heightened aggression have popped up all over the world and hundreds have died, leading to fears that this may be the start of a pandemic. LAX has connecting flights to almost every country in the world and no one knows how many passengers were infected and made it onto connecting flights.

Doctors from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) suspect that, based on the first passenger, the illness may be airborne (spread by saliva droplets through the air and on hands) and attacks the brain, leading to heightened aggression. So far, no one with a known infection has survived.

The United Nations is the only organization capable of mobilizing over 193 countries in the world to work together to address catastrophic health emergencies. Diseases don’t respect borders, so countries who may be rivals or even enemies know that they need to work together alongside the UN to safeguard their citizens. However, they may perceive the risks from the pandemic differently depending on their geography and/or factors like economic interests.

More than 7000 people from more than 150 countries work for the World Health Organization in 150 WHO offices around the world. In addition to medical doctors, public health specialists, scientists and epidemiologists, WHO staff include people trained to manage administrative, financial, and information systems, as well as experts in the fields of health statistics, economics and emergency relief.

Because this disease is so new, most countries have taken no actions yet. Your job is to recommend how countries should proceed.

As a diplomat, it is your job to understand the position of your country’s needs and the interests of those around you in order to create a quick and effective solution.

Every country has a different approach to disease and health. Your country policy is located on your Pandemic Placard in your supply bag.

Questions to Consider:

• What should be your country's initial response to the crisis?

• Do you believe that your country’s solution in the best interest of the global community?

• How do you plan on working with other countries?

Questions to consider:

• What can be done to contain the pandemic?

• What people and areas in your country are most vulnerable? Why?

• Should there be penalties for countries that fail to accurately report outbreaks?

• Does your country feel responsible to aid other countries in responding to outbreaks?