Aon has highlighted widespread complacency around dealing with a potential influenza pandemic.
In its latest report on pandemic influenza, Aon emphasises that businesses should not rely on governments to respond on their behalf. They need to develop detailed contingency plans to deal with the potential fallout of a pandemic.
Aon added that risk managers tend to overestimate the ability of insurers to meet client needs. Insurance can be difficult to obtain for global events such as pandemic influenza.
Steve Pearce, director of global crisis management at Aon, commented: “A step change is required in the risk management measures across the globe to ensure that preparations are maintained at the highest possible level for both countries and their business communities. Aon's white paper ‘Exploding the myths' underlines how vitally important it is for businesses to take responsibility and mitigate where possible, the pandemic risks facing them. Business continuity plans must provide a tailored framework for companies rather than relying on more general government defence plans, which may be inadequate to cover business exposures or advances in vaccines and anti-viral production, which are untested.
“However, business continuity planning is just one part of the exercise that should be undertaken in order to prepare effectively for a pandemic. Before any plan is contemplated, a full risk evaluation needs to be carried out followed by impact analysis and assessment of strategies and solutions. For those with plans already in place, regular testing and evaluation is vital.”
