[INFOGRAPHIC] Which Countries are Best and Worst Prepared to Deal with an Epidemic?

Which countries are best and worst prepared to deal with an epidemic? Last October, the Global Health Security Index was released, exploring that very issue. It was the first comprehensive assessment of global health security capabilities in 195 countries.

The index analyzed preparation levels by focusing on whether countries have the proper tools in place to deal with large scale outbreaks of disease, with scores measured on a scale of 0 to 100 where 100 is the highest level of preparedness.

The United States has the strongest measures in place and it came first with a score of 83.5, ahead of the United Kingdom with 77.9 and the Netherlands with 75.6. China was further down the ranking with a score of 48.2, placing it 51st. 

The following map illustrates the state of preparation levels worldwide with Africa's vulnerability to deal with large scale outbreaks readily apparent. This can be seen by a major Ebola outbreak in 2014 which devastated parts of West Africa, killing more than 10,000 people, prompting many countries to boost their own measures of containment. So far at least, no country in Africa has confirmed a case of the coronavirus. 

Here are the ranked of preparation levels of countries in Southeast Asia: 

1. Thailand 6
2. Malaysia 18
3. Singapore 26
4. Indonesia 30
5. Vietnam 50
6. Philippines 53
7. Myanmar 72
8. Laos 73
9. Cambodia 89
10. Brunei 128

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