The EU could help the poorest countries of the world to recover from the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic by taxing financial transactions, both on and off the stock exchange. The COVID-19 pandemic has not only health consequences: it is likely to be followed by the worst economic crisis in almost a century. Tax revenues have fallen dramatically in many countries. Worldwide, this crisis could push an additional 100 million people into extreme poverty and leave 270 million people facing...
COVID-19 has impacted almost every aspect of our global society, and people around the world are feeling these effects. While the fatality rates have disproportionately affected men — the case-fatality ratio (which is “the proportion of individuals diagnosed with a disease and die from that disease”) is 2.4 times higher for men than women — women and girls are among the most vulnerable socially and economically compared to their male counterparts. From being more likely to work in the informal...
Helene Gayle is a US doctor, CEO of the Chicago Community Trust, and the former CEO of CARE. We interviewed her as part of our #PassTheMic series. Here’s some of what she had to say. A coordinated global response to COVID is critical. This is a global pandemic and without global cooperation, we will not be able to have the effect that is so necessary in this ever more interconnected world. COVID has shown us, perhaps more than any other...
Africa is declared free of wild polio thanks to extensive vaccination campaigns, a new report finds 2019 was the most dangerous year for humanitarian workers, and political talks stall after a coup in Mali. Here are six stories you might have missed this month. COVID-19 is derailing progress on AIDS, malaria, and TB Before COVID-19, rates of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis were declining. But now, nearly 80% of TB, HIV, and malaria programs worldwide have reported disruptions in services, according to the...
When responding to a global crisis, good leaders and leadership is essential. Pandemics and health crises know no borders and can affect entire populations. However, having strong leaders can significantly impact how and how well a country responds. To tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, we need strong leaders, globally and locally. One quality that leaders must possess in order to effectively respond to the crisis is being able to take decisive, urgent action. Urgent decision-making is a fundamental part of being...
David Nabarro is a special representative of the UN Secretary-General and co-director of the Imperial College London’s Institute of Global Health Innovation. We interviewed him as part of our #PassTheMic series. Here’s some of what he had to say. COVID is a virus we’ve only known about for six months. But what we’re learning is that it’s dangerous, stealthy, surprising and unfortunately, here to stay for the foreseeable future. We’ve got to learn to live with this virus as a constant...
At the end of July, in private closed-door discussions, donor countries reached an agreement on debt relief that will have massive implications for development aid. Spoiler alert: it’s bad news. This deal could allow donors to artificially inflate their aid statistics, counting relief for loans that are not for development, and double counting aid money if they provide relief. This is an unfair change, particularly in the middle of a global pandemic when more aid — not double counted aid...
In 2005 after the SARS epidemic, 196 countries signed on to the International Health Regulations (IHR). They laid out a set of goals to ensure countries were prepared to detect and respond to public health events. But today, no country is fully compliant. On average, low-income countries score lowest in their capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to outbreaks, according to the Global Health Security Index, which measures the health security and capabilities of countries that signed on to the IHR....
ONE’s team in Brussels is working at the heart of the European institutions, campaigning and influencing decision-makers to keep on advancing the fight against extreme poverty and preventable diseases. Here’s what’s keeping the team and our global activists across Europe busy. 1. The EU’s seven-year budget The EU’s seven-year budget, also known as the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), has kept the Brussels team occupied, with more than two years of relentless campaigning. On 21 July at a European Council summit that...
Community masking is critical to stop the spread of COVID-19, and the science backs it up. Along with social distancing and hand washing, wearing a mask is one of the best prevention tools we have until there are viable vaccines or treatments. That’s why we’re joining #WorldMaskWeek, a global movement to inspire more people to wear face coverings to help stop the spread of COVID-19. We now know that any of us could be carrying and spreading the virus, even if...