The Need for Multilateralism in Time of COVID-19
It is high time that we embrace a multilateral approach to create a united world capable of containing the pandemic and building strong firewalls to forestall similar health problems in future.
It is high time that we embrace a multilateral approach to create a united world capable of containing the pandemic and building strong firewalls to forestall similar health problems in future.
With the rise of a deadly new variant, the world stands at a historic crossroads. We cannot afford any more leadership failures.
The global vaccination cooperation ultimately is not a competition for “dominance” or “politics,” nor is it about the profits of big companies. First and foremost it is about saving lives, and only if countries are prepared to work together and put their differences aside does the world stand a chance of returning to normality.
Before you get too excited about the 60 million doses, please remember these planned shipments will contain only the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is not approved for use in the United States.
Up to 124 million people were pushed into extreme poverty last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, reversing decades of progress. With vaccination programs yet to begin in many developing nations, could ending extreme poverty be the biggest casualty of COVID-19?
China’s vaccine support to countries all around the world has made a crucial difference when other countries have failed to do so, or countries earmarked to try and counter that have fallen back into severe crisis.
Politicizing this pandemic has already robbed enough people of their present. It must not be allowed to also rob them of their future.
If the COVID-19 pandemic marks an acceleration of the shift in global power towards Asia, then it is imperative for the sake of humanity that India and China both benefit from such a shift in equal measure.
In the face of potential global inflation, China needs proper macro-control policies to create a friendly environment for overall economic recovery and development.
Uncertainty is the only certainty about the pandemic and the ensuing demand on the global vaccine industry. Therefore quality exchange and evidence-based assessment of the evolving challenge is essential to overcome it.
COVID-19 is a global challenge which all countries must work together to overcome, and not an ‘every man for himself’ panic.
Combating COVID-19 is an excellent chance for the two countries to get together and try to do things that will help globally, particularly with vaccine issues.