Table 1 Comparison of alternative measures of country preparedness to epidemiological risk.

Global Health Security Index (GHSI)

Composite index, covering 195 WHO member countries, available since 2019. It measures country preparedness to respond to epidemics based on capacity gaps

The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security & the Economist Intelligence Unit

Joint External Evaluation (JEE) Assessment Tool

Composite index, covering 195 WHO member countries, available since 2005. It measures policy gaps relative to benchmark in responding to public health risks

WHO: IHR Monitoring and Evaluation Framework

National Health Security Preparedness Index

Composite index, covering the USA only, available since 2015. It measures management efficiency in responding to public health risks

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP)

Index for Risk Management (INFORM)

Composite index, covering 191 countries, available since 2019 (version covering epidemic risk). It measures the extent to which countries are at risk of humanitarian crisis and disaster that would overwhelm national response capacity.

Joint Research Centre (JRC), European Commission

Hospital Medical Surge Preparedness Index

Composite index, covering the USA only, available since 2015. It measures the ability of health care facilities to handle patient surges during disasters

Marcozzi et al.²⁷

Epidemiological susceptibility risk index

Composite index, covering 188 countries during 2000-2019. It measures the extent to which countries are susceptible to epidemiological risk broadly accounting for health, economic and institutional factors.

Mertzanis et al.⁵