Since the emergence of COVID-19, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has emphasized three core, related priorities: Containing the global COVID-19 crisis, rebuilding through an accelerated economic recovery, and better preparing the global system for future pandemics.
As world leaders mobilize energy and commitments to end the COVID-19 crisis at events around the United Nations General Assembly, we must redouble efforts to fully protect lives and livelihoods around the world. This white paper outlines our view of the coordinated global actions that governments and institutions should commit to and implement. Prominent voices and organizations have proposed insightful and important frameworks for a more effective COVID-19 response, and we note with appreciation the ambitious goals and targets—and the call for accountability structures—set by the United States government ahead of its high-level Global COVID-19 Summit. We support these calls for action and offer our perspective on the most critical priorities among them, based on our technical expertise as well as insights from our broad array of partners, including governments, civil society organizations, and regional and multilateral institutions.
This white paper outlines our view of the coordinated global actions that governments and institutions should commit to and implement to end the COVID-19 crisis.
Gargee GhoshPresident, Global Policy & Advocacy, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
As the COVID-19 pandemic stretches on, the world remains in urgent need of clear actions to end the acute phase of this global crisis. We must also recognize that COVID-19 will likely become an endemic challenge, despite initial hopes to the contrary. Equally bold actions will be needed to maintain global mitigation efforts, by building and resourcing the systems necessary to mitigate spread of the virus, prevent continual resurgence, and combat future global health crises that could threaten everyone.
With that in mind, we strongly support renewed efforts, including via the upcoming U.S.-led summit, to coordinate and galvanize action globally, with the goal of ending the immediate COVID-19 crisis. Governments and institutions can use the summit as well as complementary and follow-on actions to marshal the resources necessary to manage COVID-19 in national settings and amplify country efforts, including in low-resource countries, to benefit the world. The actions required to move beyond the current crisis will also serve as a foundation for protecting against future pandemic threats and could, over time, support stronger basic health systems around the world. Importantly, we urge that all activities, including the U.S.-led summit and subsequent follow-up, highlight the views of lower-income country governments and diverse regional partners. Countries and regions facing unique equity challenges amid the pandemic have also consistently offered unique solutions for managing this global crisis.
COVID-19 still poses daunting challenges, but these can be met by mobilizing truly coordinated action, reducing fragmentation, and strengthening global accountability around shared goals. Specifically, we call on governments, multilateral organizations, and the private sector to take the following measures.
Source: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
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