Scientist
© AP/Branden Camp
Top health officials from the 20 leading and emerging economies are planning to simulate their response to a possible global disease outbreak.

A memo on the May 19-20 summit in Berlin states the meeting will include a four-hour "tabletop exercise" involving ministers and representatives from international organizations.

The Associated Press obtained a copy of the memo on Tuesday.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is scheduled to open the summit. She has emphasized the importance of responding quickly and efficiently to sudden global health crises such as a deadly pandemic.

Among those taking part in the summit are Margaret Chan, the head of the World Health Organization. The WHO has been criticized in the past for failures in its response to the 2009 flu pandemic and the Ebola outbreak four years later.

Source: Associated Press