Senator Bill Frist is a doctor and former US Senator from Tennessee. We interviewed Senator Frist as part of our #PassTheMic series. Here’s some of what he had to say in the interview. We’ve got an enemy that is a virus that knows no borders. It doesn’t need visas or passports so the universality of that enemy is global. The challenge is that it’s a stealth virus: unlike most viruses where you’re infectious when you’re symptomatic, in this case, you may...
What policy measures have African governments taken so far during the COVID-19 pandemic? How many ventilators, hospital beds, and intensive care units do countries currently have? What have the economic shocks from COVID-19 meant for food security and remittances? While the virus itself has been slower to impact Africa than other parts of the world, the drastic declines in global trade and travel — combined with measures like quarantines — are significantly impacting economies and well-being across the continent. To better...
Isaac Olufadewa is a ONE Champion, medical doctor, and the executive director of Slum and Rural Health Initiative.  I vividly recall the fear in my 85-year-old grandmother’s voice when we talked in her living room about the novel coronavirus in early March. She was confused and didn’t understand  the COVID-19 pandemic. She was drowning in the overwhelming ocean of information largely in the world’s major languages such as English and French. As a medical doctor and adept communicator, I sat her...
Dame Minouche Shafik is the director of the London School of Economics. We interviewed Dame Minouche as part of our #PassTheMic series. Here’s some of what she had to say in the interview. The biggest challenge we currently face with coronavirus is — and it seems obvious to say this — that it’s a global pandemic. So unless we solve it everywhere, we will never solve it. On the health side, a global response is essential for solving this pandemic. Otherwise,...
At ONE, we strive to build a better world for everyone, everywhere by fighting to end extreme poverty and preventable disease. We’ve spent nearly two decades campaigning for progress by advocating for access to education, gender equality and connectivity, the elimination of gender-based violence, investment into energy and agriculture, and, of course, health. In recent months, it’s become painfully clear how critical good global health and strong health systems are to our collective ability to live safe and productive lives....
Dr. Anthony Fauci is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Actress Julia Roberts interviewed Dr. Fauci as part of our #PassTheMic series. Here’s some of what Dr. Fauci had to say in the interview.  We’re currently dealing with a public health crisis, and the most important thing that people can do right now is listen to the scientific evidence. At the moment, that clearly indicates that physical separation is working to a certain extent. So...
The COVID-19 pandemic is dominating news channels, social media, and our daily conversations. With such an overwhelming amount of information, it can be hard to cut through the noise. That’s why we’re launching #PassTheMic, so that we can hear directly from the experts and frontline workers. Each day, celebrities including Julia Roberts, Danai Gurira, and Hugh Jackman will hand their social media channels over to medical experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci, frontline workers like Dr. Tsion Firew of Columbia University,...
In just three months, COVID-19 has upended life in Africa. Around 70,000 people have been infected and over 2,000 have died. Statistically, the African continent has been spared from the high concentration of cases seen elsewhere. Politically, in a world where there is a deficit on global leadership, we have seen the African Union step up to ensure a coordinated response across the continent, particularly in supporting countries with weak health systems and pushing for debt restructuring. However, the reality remains...
The immediate health needs of COVID-19 are immense — but that doesn’t mean other health, economic, and societal needs are standing still. “There’s a tendency to look at the pandemic in a linear way,” explains ONE CEO Gayle Smith. But by doing that, we miss the fact that it is layered and has a cascading impact on the economy, food security, and the risk of other diseases. We gathered three experts to discuss the issues we can’t forget during this pandemic....
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed every corner of the world. Everyone has been pushed to action, in protecting themselves and their community, whether it is by wearing masks themselves or by social distancing. The global and community outreach during this pandemic have been crucial in keeping everyone safe and reminding us that we’re all in this together. At ONE, our activists and champions are exemplifying the leadership and service we need to tackle this global pandemic. Carine Umutoniwase is a youth...