Clear, universal performance standards for outbreak detection, reporting and control can improve accountability, save lives, and accelerate global readiness for future pandemics. For The Lancet’s Viewpoint, experts from Resolve to Save Lives propose 7-1-7 as a global target for timely response to infectious disease outbreaks: detecting a suspected outbreak within 7 days, reporting and initiating a response within 1 day, and mounting an effective early response within 7 days.
