Committee of experts points to limitations in how the world is handling the pandemic

The world could have averted the catastrophic extent of the COVID-19 pandemic with effective coordination, swift action and heeding the warning signs. This is the conclusion of an independent committee of global experts made in a report published on May 12.

Medical staff treat COVID-19 patients at a hospital in Riga, Latvia. Photo: THX/VNA The report also highlights the importance of “overhauling” the global alarm system to prevent a similar disaster from happening again. Report “COVID-19: Making it the Last Pandemic” produced by the Independent Committee on COVID-19 Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPR) at the request of World Health Organization member countries. world (WHO). As policymakers make a series of ineffective decisions, the report says, adding to the scale and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the pandemic has killed at least 3.3 million people so far, while the global economy has been devastated. According to the IPPR, institutions “failed to protect the people” while leaders denying scientific data has eroded public confidence in health interventions. The lack of urgency in the early response to the COVID-19 outbreak detected in Wuhan, China in December 2019 led to unfortunate consequences, when February 2020 became the “lost month”. cool” seriously in the context that the alarm situation has not been paid enough attention by countries. IPPR also said that WHO could have declared a global public health emergency (PHEIC), the highest alert level, on January 22, 2020. Instead, it took the organization eight days to do this. Then, only in March 2020 after WHO recognized COVID-19 as a pandemic, did countries realize the danger of the situation and really “get involved”. Ineffective strategic choices, unwillingness to address inequality issues, and “disparity” in coordination within a country or between countries have created a “toxic formula” that creates favorable conditions. for the COVID-19 pandemic to turn into “a catastrophic human crisis”. The threat of a pandemic has been ignored and countries are struggling to deal with its consequences. In order to reverse the current pandemic, IPPR recommends that the world’s richest countries from now until September 1 share 1 billion doses of vaccine to the 92 poorest countries through a mechanism of equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines called COVID-19 vaccine. WHO-initiated COVAX and more than 2 billion doses of vaccine by mid-2022. IPPR calls on the world’s leading industrialized countries (G7) to pay 60% of the $19 billion needed to fund vaccine development, development diagnostic and therapeutic approaches through the WHO-led “Accelerated Access to COVID-19 Response Tools” global collaboration to distribute COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics to countries poorer. Health workers give people a COVID-19 vaccine in Essen, Germany. Photo: THX/VNA According to the committee, the group of the world’s leading developed and emerging economies (G20) and others need to support the rest. The WHO and the World Trade Organization (WTO) themselves also need to encourage countries and vaccine manufacturers to voluntarily agree to license and transfer technology to produce vaccines against COVID-19. To address future outbreaks and pandemics, the IPPR calls for the creation of a Global Health Threat Response Council made up of world leaders, as well as a convention on pandemics. Translate. The G20 should also set up an international pandemic response financing mechanism, whereby $5-10 billion can be spent per year on ensuring epidemic preparedness capacity, as well as ensuring readiness to mobilize $50 billion to $100 billion in the event of a crisis. Speaking at the event to announce the report, WHO Director-General Tedros Gebreyesus said the organization will join 194 members to discuss the above recommendations as well as the opinions of other expert groups, aiming to “construct” Stronger WHO, for a healthier, safer and fairer future for all of us.”