World Bank2025-06-182025-06-182025-06-18https://hdl.handle.net/10986/43348This evaluation focuses on the preparedness of the World Bank Group, including the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), to support epidemic- and pandemic-related health emergencies. A health emergency is defined as an extraordinary event that is determined to constitute a public health risk to other states through the international spread of disease and to potentially require a coordinated international response. While health emergencies can include natural disasters or humanitarian crises that impact the health of populations, the evaluation centers on the preparedness—including prevention, detection, and readiness—to act quickly in health emergencies whose origins or sources are related to infectious disease outbreaks and antimicrobial resistance. Globally, the increasing risk of outbreaks and epidemics that could escalate into pandemic health emergencies underscores the need for countries to be better prepared. A strong development and economic rationale exists for investing in preparedness to reduce the risk of outbreaks and epidemics. According to the Global Health Security Index—which measures 195 countries’ preparedness and capacity to respond to epidemics and pandemics—all countries are dangerously unprepared for epidemics and pandemics, with less developed countries being particularly vulnerable because of their weak systems. The evaluation’s purpose is to assess the Bank Group’s support for epidemic preparedness, which aims to help client countries prevent, detect, and ensure readiness for infectious disease outbreaks. This evaluation will provide insights into the effectiveness of past and ongoing preparedness efforts supported by the World Bank, specifically examining what works and why. These findings can inform scale-up to enhance efforts of the World Bank’s HEPPR Global Challenge Program. The evaluation will focus on the support of the World Bank and IFC. Given that the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency has a relatively small and predominantly new portfolio in this area, it will not be included in the evaluation.en-USCC BY-NC 3.0 IGOGOOD HEALTHPARTNERSHIP FOR THE GOALSWORLD BANK GROUP PREPAREDNESSEPIDEMIC AND PANDEMIC HEALTH EMERGENCIESGLOBAL HEALTH SECURITY INDEXIEG EvaluationWorld Bank10.1596/IEG201979