COVID-19 has spread from a health crisis to an economic crisis to a societal crisis in a matter of months. But we know what we need to find our way out of this crisis and build back stronger and more prepared. Experts have the facts, science, data, and advice to tackle this crisis — and global leadership should follow that advice. Here’s recommendations from 10 leading experts on what it will take to tackle COVID-19. On vaccines If a country takes an...
In times of crisis, strong leaders are of the utmost importance. We look to our leaders to demonstrate how we should respond to the issues at hand and guide us in the right direction. COVID-19 is a global crisis that requires the attention and efforts from leaders worldwide. However, more than half a year into this pandemic, we are still awaiting strong global leadership. In the past six months, we have seen unimaginable changes to how we live. Countries have...
Activists gather virtually for the International AIDS Conference, Sudan bans female genital mutilation, and the latest US funding bill fails to deliver global COVID-19 response funds. Here are six stories you might have missed this month. COVID-19 could wipe out equality gains for women at work The COVID-19 pandemic could wipe out “the modest progress” made on gender equality in the workplace, warns the International Labour Organization (ILO). The drop in global working hours is “significantly worse than previously estimated” earlier this...
The ONE Campaign and 10 major African artists have come together to release a music track calling for the world to join in solidarity to fight COVID-19. In partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation and MTV Base, “Stand Together” is a solidarity anthem featuring some of Africa’s biggest music stars: 2Baba, Ahmed Soultan, Ben Pol, Teni, Yemi Alade, Amanda Black, Stanley Enow, Gigi La Mayne, Prodigio and Betty G. The song has been produced by Nigerian producer Cobhams Asuquo and the...
Fifteen years ago at the historic Gleneagles summit hosted by the UK, The ONE Campaign joined millions of campaigners to push G8 leaders to cancel 100% of the multilateral debt owed by the world’s poorest countries and double aid to Africa. Adding this to previous debt cancellation from Jubilee 2000, close to $100 billion of debt was written off for 36 heavily indebted countries. After years of burdensome debt payments, incurred by undemocratic leaders, African governments had a clean slate...
Governments are spending trillions of dollars on COVID-19 response. By necessity, that spending is happening rapidly — yet often there is little or no oversight, increasing the risk that money is stolen or mismanaged and that additional lives are lost or ruined. Strong oversight and monitoring of emergency funds can help save lives. It can root out corruption and fraud, helping to ensure that money reaches its intended purpose. It enables markets to function effectively, potentially driving down prices, and...
So far, most countries in Africa are reporting comparatively low numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases, with a few countries accounting for most of the confirmed cases. But the impacts of food insecurity could end up being worse than the direct impacts of the health pandemic. The number of people experiencing acute food insecurity is expected to double to more than one-quarter of a billion people by end of 2020. And the World Bank estimates that between 26-39 million people in...
Erin Stuckey is programme officer for polio eradication at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. We interviewed them as part of our #PassTheMic campaign. Here’s some of what they had to say. We’ve seen the way that COVID has been going around the globe, and actions taken on the individual level and by a country definitely have a ripple effect. It’s scary to see that, but it’s heartening as well, as a reminder of the fact that we’re all connected...
Dr. Martin Dedicoat is a consultant in infectious diseases at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. We interviewed him as part of our #PassTheMic campaign. Here’s some of what he had to say. Learning from each other during this time is vital. A repository of information to show responses that have worked and those that haven’t would be useful. For example, in Medellin, Colombia, they’ve done something for people who come to hospital with symptoms of COVID, but are not ill enough to...
Dr. Jen Gardy is deputy director of surveillance, data, and epidemiology for the malaria team at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. We interviewed her as part of our #PassTheMic campaign. Here’s some of what she had to say. In medicine, it’s all about teamwork. What I’ve learned from being in the infectious disease and public health space for years is that nothing good happens without an amazing multidisciplinary team behind it. I’ve been lucky to participate in creating new ways...