KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report

In The News

U.N. Outlines Potential Socio-Economic Consequences Of Coronavirus In Report, Leaked Emails; U.N. SG Reiterates Call For Global Ceasefire

CBS: U.N. official warns of “dire” financial crisis due to coronavirus in leaked documents
“The United Nations is facing a ‘dire’ liquidity crisis as it deals with added expenses related to the need to ‘respond to the global health crisis’ of coronavirus, according to an email from Movses Abelian, the U.N. undersecretary general for General Assembly and conference management. That email was sent to explain a memo from the undersecretary general for management Catherine Pollard, and both documents were obtained by CBS News…” (Falk, 4/4).

IPS: U.N. Releases Report on Socio-economic Effects of Coronavirus
“As the number of coronavirus cases continues to grow, concerns are simultaneously growing about the current and long-term effects this will have on certain demographics — specifically, women, the youth, migrant workers, and many employees around the world. [Last] week, the United Nations launched a report ‘Shared Responsibility, Global Solidarity: Responding to the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19’ that detailed how these communities are affected disproportionately by the current pandemic and quarantine…” (Sadeque, 4/3).

U.N. News: U.N. chief urges unity in mobilizing ‘every ounce of energy’ to defeat coronavirus pandemic
“There should be only one fight in our world today, the United Nations Secretary-General said on Friday, issuing a loud clarion call to join ‘our shared battle against COVID-19.’ Ten days ago, António Guterres called for an immediate global ceasefire to help people in war-torn regions receive life-saving aid to fight the coronavirus pandemic. ‘We know the pandemic is having profound social, economic, and political consequences, including relating to international peace and security,’ the U.N. chief said, in a virtual press conference outlining the impact so far of the ceasefire appeal…” (4/3).

Additional coverage of the U.N. response to COVID-19, the impact on poor and refugee populations, and Guterres’s call for a global ceasefire is available from Devex, NPR, Quartz, Thomson Reuters Foundation, U.N. News (2), Washington Post, and Xinhua (2).

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WHO, IMF Call On Coronavirus Response To Focus On Health, Economic, Social Aspects Of Pandemic Impacts

VOA: WHO: Coronavirus Battle Must Focus on Protecting Lives and Livelihoods
“The World Health Organization and International Monetary Fund are joining forces to protect the world against the dual health and economic crises triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic has infected more than a million people around the world and killed more than 50,000. Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said this is more than a health crisis. He said it is also a social and economic crisis. … Managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, said her organization is joining with WHO to combat this unprecedented health and economic crisis…” (Schlein, 4/4).

Additional coverage of the WHO’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic is available from Bloomberg, Fox News, Reuters, and The Telegraph.

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COVID-19 Pandemic Altering International Diplomacy, Operations Of Governments Worldwide

AP: Global diplomacy under the gun in the time of coronavirus
“…The coronavirus pandemic has dramatically altered international diplomacy. While the interruptions may seem to many like trivial inconveniences for a well-heeled jet set, they may have significant implications for matters of war and peace, arms control, and human rights. … As the world fights what U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres calls ‘a war against a virus,’ many diplomats are wondering if that life will return when the ‘war’ is over…” (Lee et al., 4/4).

The Hill: How governments around the world are passing laws amid the coronavirus crisis
“Congressional leaders in both parties have dismissed the idea of virtual voting during the coronavirus pandemic, but a number of U.S. states and countries around the world have found ways to adapt to vote on bills and participate in debates while maintaining social distancing…” (Marcos, 4/5).

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U.N. SG Guterres Warns Of Surge In Domestic Violence Amid Coronavirus Lockdowns

NPR: Global Lockdowns Resulting In ‘Horrifying Surge’ In Domestic Violence, U.N. Warns
“United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, citing a sharp rise in domestic violence amid global coronavirus lockdowns, called on governments around the world to make addressing the issue a key part of their response to the pandemic. Speaking late Sunday, Guterres said ‘violence is not confined to the battlefield’…” (Neuman, 4/6).

U.N. News: U.N. chief calls for domestic violence ‘ceasefire’ amid ‘horrifying global surge’
“…The combination of economic and social stresses brought on by the pandemic, as well as restrictions on movement, have dramatically increased the numbers of women and girls facing abuse, in almost all countries. However, even before the global spread of the new coronavirus, statistics showed that a third of women around the world experienced some form of violence in their lives…” (4/5).

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U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson Hospitalized With Coronavirus As Nations Worldwide Continue To Implement Mitigation Strategies

AFRICA

Al Jazeera: Nigeria: Aid workers warn 2 million displaced at risk of COVID-19 (4/5).

AP: ‘Complete collapse of economies’ ahead as Africa faces virus (Muhumuza, 4/5).

BBC: South Africa’s ruthlessly efficient fight against coronavirus (Harding, 4/3).

Financial Times: African health officials warn of chronic medical shortages (Munshi, 4/5).

Forbes: The Coronavirus Pandemic Is Causing Kenya’s Maasai To Change Its Ancient Habits (Wight, 4/5).

Global Press Journal: In African Markets, Authorities Struggle to Control Risk of Coronavirus (Mutombo et al., 4/5).

The Hill: Why Africa is at risk of a coronavirus catastrophe (Wilson, 4/4).

Quartz Africa: South Africa’s leadership in HIV research is galvanizing to tackle coronavirus and develop tests (Wild, 4/2).

U.N. News: Coronavirus restrictions hamper aid access for Sudanese in need (4/3).

ASIA

Devex: In Myanmar’s Rakhine state, conflict and internet blackout mar COVID-19 response (Long, 4/6).

Financial Times: South Korea’s factories stretched to limit churning out virus tests (Jung-a et al., 4/5).

The Guardian: Bangladesh sends food aid to sex workers as industry goes into lockdown (Ahmed, 4/6).

Los Angeles Times: North Korea’s official coronavirus count: Zero. Why that claim is hard to believe (Kim, 4/4).

Reuters: South Korea reports fewer than 50 new infections earning WHO praise (Shin/Roh, 4/5).

Reuters: India curbs diagnostic testing kit exports as virus spreads (Dasgupta et al., 4/5).

EUROPE

AP: U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson hospitalized with virus (Lawless, 4/4).

Reuters: Russia’s coronavirus cases jump by almost 1,000 in 24 hours (Stolyarov/Teterevleva, 4/6).

Reuters: Italy starts to look ahead to ‘phase two’ as COVID-19 death toll slows (Mackenzie/Piovaccari, 4/5).

LATIN AMERICA

AP: Desperate hunt for food by Peru’s poor amid virus quarantine (Briceno, 4/6).

Reuters: Brazil lawmakers pass ‘war budget’ as coronavirus cases top 10,000 (Mello, 4/4).

MIDDLE EAST

AP: From Iran’s hot zone, Afghans flee home, spreading virus (Akhgar/Ahmed, 4/6).

Reuters: Iran warns of coronavirus surge after many ignore ‘stay home’ rules (4/4).

Tehran Times: Envoy says economic, banking restrictions on Iran amid pandemic amounts to ‘crime against humanity’ (4/4).

Tehran Times: Iranian diplomat says U.S. sanctions will lead to humanitarian catastrophe (4/4).

U.N. News: Iraq: U.N. health agency helps beat ‘latest bottleneck’ in COVID-19 battle (4/5).

NORTH AMERICA

CNBC: These ‘disease hunters’ developed a novel technique for tracking pandemics after 9/11, but lost funding right before COVID-19 (Farr, 4/4).

New York Times: Coronavirus Models Offer the Big Picture, Not the Details of What May Come (Austen, 4/3).

Reuters: Mexican president pitches frugal economic plan against coronavirus (Jorgic/Graham, 4/5).

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Media Outlets Report On COVID-19 Treatment, Vaccine Research

Bloomberg: A Fast-Moving Virus Pits Treating Patients Against Finding a Cure (Langreth/Griffin, 4/5).

The Guardian: When will a coronavirus vaccine be ready? (Spinney, 4/6).

New Yorker: The Quest for a Pandemic Pill (Hutson, 4/13).

STAT: This tiny federal agency was built to respond to a crisis like coronavirus. Now that it’s here, is BARDA ready? (Florko, 4/6).

STAT: Gilead ramps up production of experimental Covid-19 treatment amid criticism over access (Silverman, 4/5).

The Telegraph: Coronavirus Q&A: When will there be a vaccine and when will testing kits be available? Our expert answers your questions (Newey, 4/6).

USA TODAY: A coronavirus vaccine is being developed in record time. But don’t expect that technology to speed up flu vaccines — yet (Jansen, 4/6).

VOA News: COVID-19 Renews Quest for Coronavirus Vaccine (Pearson, 4/5).

Washington Post: Power Up: The coronavirus vaccine race is on. But we probably won’t see one this year (Alemany, 4/6).

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Washington Post Examines U.S. Government's Response To COVID-19 Pandemic

Washington Post: The U.S. was beset by denial and dysfunction as the coronavirus raged
“…Despite these and other extreme steps, the United States will likely go down as the country that was supposedly best prepared to fight a pandemic but ended up catastrophically overmatched by the novel coronavirus, sustaining heavier casualties than any other nation. It did not have to happen this way. Though not perfectly prepared, the United States had more expertise, resources, plans, and epidemiological experience than dozens of countries that ultimately fared far better in fending off the virus. The failure has echoes of the period leading up to 9/11: Warnings were sounded, including at the highest levels of government, but the president was deaf to them until the enemy had already struck…” (Abutaleb et al., 4/4).

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CDC Director Robert Redfield Discusses Agency's Role In COVID-19 Response In STAT Interview; CDC Recommends People Wear Cloth Masks In Public

STAT: An interview with the CDC director on coronavirus, masks, and an agency gone quiet
“Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, describes the coronavirus pandemic as the greatest public health crisis in a century. And yet the storied agency that Redfield leads — one that has been used as a model by countries around the world, including the China CDC — has played a largely invisible role in the nation’s response since the White House took over communications about the outbreak last month. CDC experts, who held regular briefings to update the public about previous health threats such as the H1N1 flu pandemic and the Zika outbreak, have been silenced. It has been nearly a month since the last CDC media briefing, which took place March 9. STAT asked Redfield about the agency’s role, whether he was satisfied with it, the agency’s evolving thinking about whether people should wear cloth masks in public, and how he sees the pandemic unfolding…” (Branswell, 4/4).

Additional coverage of the CDC’s recommendations to wear masks in public and efforts to study undetected COVID-19 cases is available from MSNBC, POLITICO, STAT, and USA TODAY.

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Jared Kushner Draws Criticism Over Comments On Federal Stockpile, Role In U.S. Government's Coronavirus Response

NPR: Jared Kushner’s Role In Coronavirus Response Draws Scrutiny, Criticism
“…Kushner, a real estate executive with no public health expertise, generally works behind scenes at the White House. So, critics have been curious about his role in the administration’s efforts to confront the coronavirus pandemic. He has emerged with a central role working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to oversee the distribution of vital medical supplies to hospital and health care providers. On Thursday, he explained that Trump and Vice President Pence came to him looking for new ideas and ‘outside of the box’ thinking. But his lack of experience has drawn scrutiny, especially when he referred to the national stockpile of medical supplies as ‘our stockpile.’ ‘The notion of the federal stockpile was it’s supposed to be our stockpile,’ he said. ‘It’s not supposed to be states’ stockpiles that they then use.’ The backlash was quick and harsh…” (Ordoñez, 4/4).

USA TODAY: Jared Kushner makes coronavirus briefing appearance, draws backlash for ‘our stockpile’ comment
“…Former White House ethics chief Walter Shaub pointed out that the website of the Strategic National Stockpile points to its potential use by state and local governments. ‘It is for the American people…as the federal government’s OWN strategic national stockpile website assures us!’ he wrote. The wording on the Strategic National Stockpile’s website was later changed. ‘The Strategic National Stockpile’s role is to supplement state and local supplies during public health emergencies,’ it now reads, noting that ‘many states have products stockpiled, as well.'” According to an archived version of the website, it previously said the stockpile was for use when ‘local supplies to run out’ and ‘when state, local, tribal, and territorial responders request federal assistance to support their response efforts’…” (Wu, 4/3).

Additional coverage of Kushner’s role in the U.S. government COVID-19 response is available from CNN, The Guardian, MSNBC, Newsweek, POLITICO, and Slate.

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Trump Continues To Promote Off-Label Use Of Drug For COVID-19 Despite Expert Opinion Of Unproven Effectiveness

New York Times: Ignoring Expert Opinion, Trump Again Promotes Use of Hydroxychloroquine
“President Trump doubled down Sunday on his push for the use of an anti-malarial drug against the coronavirus, issuing medical advice that goes well beyond scant evidence of the drug’s effectiveness as well as the advice of doctors and public health experts. Mr. Trump’s recommendation of hydroxychloroquine, for the second day in a row at a White House briefing, was a striking example of his brazen willingness to distort and outright defy expert opinion and scientific evidence when it does not suit his agenda…” (Crowley et al., 4/5).

Reuters: Exclusive: Pressed by Trump, U.S. pushed unproven coronavirus treatment guidance
“In mid-March, President Donald Trump personally pressed federal health officials to make malaria drugs available to treat the novel coronavirus, though they had been untested for COVID-19, two sources told Reuters. Shortly afterward, the federal government published highly unusual guidance informing doctors they had the option to prescribe the drugs, with key dosing information based on unattributed anecdotes rather than peer-reviewed science. While Trump, in a series of tweets and press comments, had made his opinions on the drugs, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, well known, the nature of his behind-the-scenes intervention has not been previously reported…” (Taylor/Rosten, 4/4).

Additional coverage of the debate over hydroxychloroquine is available from Axios, Bloomberg, and CNN.

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Media Outlets Examine Careers Of, Working Relationship Between Anthony Fauci, Deborah Birx

CNN: Dr. Anthony Fauci’s career under 6 US presidents (4/2).

CNN: Fauci: U.S. is ‘struggling’ to get coronavirus under control and to say otherwise would be wrong (Robertson/Cole, 4/5).

Financial Times: Deborah Birx: the U.S. colonel at war with coronavirus (Weaver, 4/6).

TIME: ‘We Are Struggling to Get It Under Control’ Dr. Anthony Fauci Says About the U.S. COVID-19 Outbreak (Law, 4/5).

Washington Post: Fauci and Birx worked together at the dawn of the AIDS crisis. Thirty-seven years later, they are partners in fighting the coronavirus (Kranish, 4/5).

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Amid Coronavirus Pandemic, Trump Administration Pushes For Taiwan's Inclusion In International Organizations, Including WHO

AP: U.S. sees coronavirus window to push Taiwan’s global status
“The Trump administration is seizing the opportunity of the coronavirus pandemic to push a cause that has long been an irritant in U.S. relations with China: Taiwan. The virus has added yet another dimension to U.S.-China tensions that were already wracked by a trade war and heated discussions over intellectual property, human rights, and Chinese policies in Hong Kong and the South China Sea. … As the pandemic has grown, U.S. officials and lawmakers have stepped up alternately bashing China for a lack of transparency over the outbreak and praising Taiwan for its response to the outbreak. The administration is pressing for Taiwan’s inclusion as a separate entity in international organizations like the World Health Organization and International Civil Aviation Organization, both of which have significant roles in anti-virus efforts…” (Lee, 4/6).

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U.S. Braces For Coronavirus Peak In Some Cities; Some Experts Urge Creation Of National Public Health Corps

The Hill: Health experts call for Roosevelt-style programs to kill virus, revive economy
“…Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) said Friday that his state would join with Partners In Health, a Boston-based global health nonprofit, to turn staffers into contact tracers, the backbone of any robust public health effort to squelch a deadly disease. … Public health experts across the country … now say a mass-scale national program aimed at suppressing the virus at a community level through that sort of robust contact tracing is crucial to stopping its spread. Such a program aimed at bolstering national public health would be unprecedented in the history of the country. But as the economy nosedives into what could be a depression and millions lose their jobs in the space of a few days and weeks, a government-backed effort to get those people back to work does have a precedent, in Depression-era programs like the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps…” (Wilson, 4/6).

NPR: Trump Warns ‘One Of The Toughest Weeks’ Is Ahead, Says To Brace For ‘A Lot Of Death’
“In a grim assessment of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Trump on Saturday predicted that the coming week would be ‘one of the toughest weeks’ of the outbreak. At the same time, the president expressed frustration with the toll that social distancing measures are taking on the economy, saying, ‘We cannot let this continue’…” (Slotkin/Sprunt, 4/4).

Wall Street Journal: U.S. Expects Coronavirus Peak in Some Cities Next Week as Global Toll Climbs
“Confirmed coronavirus cases shot past 1.2 million globally, as the U.S. braced for the most challenging days ahead for many of its hardest-hit cities. Modeling shows New York, Detroit, and New Orleans — and areas around those cities — will likely reach the peak of their outbreaks in the next six to seven days, White House coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx said Saturday evening…” (Restuccia et al., 4/4).

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430K People Traveled From China To U.S. Since Novel Coronavirus Detected, New York Times Analysis Shows

New York Times: 430,000 People Have Traveled From China to U.S. Since Coronavirus Surfaced
“Since Chinese officials disclosed the outbreak of a mysterious pneumonialike illness to international health officials on New Year’s Eve, at least 430,000 people have arrived in the United States on direct flights from China, including nearly 40,000 in the two months after President Trump imposed restrictions on such travel, according to an analysis of data collected in both countries. … Mr. Trump has repeatedly suggested that his travel measures impeded the virus’s spread in the United States. … But the analysis of the flight and other data by the New York Times shows the travel measures, however effective, may have come too late to have ‘kept China out,’ particularly in light of recent statements from health officials that as many as 25 percent of people infected with the virus may never show symptoms…” (Eder, 4/4).

Additional coverage of travel between China and the U.S. is available from Axios, The Hill, and Reuters.

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Media Outlets Discuss Parallels Between, Challenges Of COVID-19, Climate Change

Roll Call: Climate’s on back burner, but advocates see COVID-19 parallels
“The coronavirus pandemic has for now knocked the climate change debate onto a back burner. But advocates are drawing parallels between the health crisis and the problems associated with climate change: wrongheaded public policy, vulnerable populations, inadequate health care system, and rejection of science. They’re warning that COVID-19 provides a grim glimpse into the consequences of waiting to mitigate and prepare for a climate change crisis…” (Nawaguna, 4/6).

U.N. News: First person: COVID-19 is not a silver lining for the climate, says U.N. Environment chief
“Greenhouse gas emissions are down and air quality has gone up, as governments react to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the head of the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP), Inger Andersen, has cautioned against viewing this as a boon for the environment. In this First Person editorial, Ms. Andersen calls instead for a profound, systemic shift to a more sustainable economy that works for both people and the planet…” (4/5).

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Coronavirus Pandemic Impacting Women's Access To Abortion Services Worldwide; Some Leaders Question U.S. Funding For WHO Amid Organization's Support For Abortion During Outbreak

Fox News: Pro-life leaders scrutinize WHO funding amid support for abortion during COVID-19 outbreak
“A host of pro-life leaders questioned whether the U.S. should continue funding the World Health Organization (WHO) after it voiced support for abortion during the coronavirus pandemic…” (Dorman, 4/5).

Thomson Reuters Foundation: Expert Views: How coronavirus is affecting abortion access
“Women from Nepal to the United States are struggling to get abortions during the COVID-19 outbreak as lockdowns and medical shortages create barriers to care. Sexual health organizations and women’s rights groups have called on authorities to recognize access to abortion as a human right that must be protected during the pandemic. Here is what some of them are saying about how the virus is affecting sexual health care and what should be done about it…” (Elks, 4/5).

Thomson Reuters Foundation: Millions of women feared at risk of backstreet abortions during pandemic
“Millions of women and girls may be forced to carry unwanted pregnancies or risk unsafe backstreet abortions as the coronavirus lockdowns restrict access to family planning services, charity Marie Stopes International said on Friday. Women are struggling to get contraception and terminations during the pandemic, the organization warned, saying a loss of its services alone would impact up to 9.5 million women and could result in an extra 2.7 million unsafe abortions globally…” (Elks, 4/3).

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U.S. Plans To Reduce Aid To Afghanistan, U.S. Sources Say

Reuters: Exclusive: Planned $1 billion U.S. aid cut would hit Afghan security force funds
“A planned $1 billion cut in U.S. aid to Afghanistan would come from funds for Afghan security forces, according to three U.S. sources, a step experts said would undercut both Kabul’s ability to fight the Taliban and its leverage to negotiate a peace deal with them. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the reduction on March 23 and threatened to slash the same amount next year to try to force Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his political rival Abdullah Abdullah to end a feud that has helped stall U.S.-led peace-making efforts in Afghanistan…” (Landay et al., 4/5).

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More News In Global Health

ABC (Australia): West Africa’s Ebola outbreak was ‘catastrophic’ — here’s the story of how it was contained (Dulaney, 4/5).

Bloomberg: Bill Gates Says Virus Death Toll May Not Reach Experts’ Worst Case (Krasny, 4/5).

Devex: Q&A: U.N. Women envisions a more gender-equal post-pandemic society (Lieberman, 4/6).

Devex: After Ebola funds fiasco, IFRC is ‘confident’ corruption won’t get COVID-19 money (Root, 4/6).

Devex: How will COVID-19 impact foundation grants? (Worley, 4/6).

The Guardian: Sanctions should not impede coronavirus fight, E.U. diplomat says (Gayle, 4/4).

The Guardian: Ban wildlife markets to avert pandemics, says U.N. biodiversity chief (Greenfield, 4/6).

New York Times: Gita Ramjee, a Leading AIDS Researcher, Dies at 63 (Genzlinger, 4/3).

NPR: Global Roundtable: Coronavirus Crisis Upends Death Rituals (Arraf, 4/6).

SciDev.Net: One-stop test offers instant hepatitis B diagnosis (Vesper, 3/27).

U.N. News: Political prisoners should be among first released in pandemic response, says U.N. rights chief (4/3).

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Editorials and Opinions

Editorial, Opinion Pieces Discuss Various Aspects Of Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic

Wall Street Journal: World Health Coronavirus Disinformation
Editorial Board

“The coronavirus pandemic will offer many lessons in what to do better to save more lives and do less economic harm the next time. But there’s already one way to ensure future pandemics are less deadly: Reform or defund the World Health Organization (WHO). … Congress should investigate how WHO performed against the coronavirus and whether its judgments were corrupted by China’s political influence. Of all international institutions, WHO should be the least political. Its core mission is to coordinate international efforts against epidemics and provide honest public health guidance. If WHO is merely a politicized Maginot Line against pandemics, then it is worse than useless and should receive no more U.S. funding. And if foreign policy elites want to know why so many Americans mistrust international institutions, WHO is it” (4/5).

The Atlantic: A Make-or-Break Test for American Diplomacy
William Burns, president of the Carnegie Endowment (4/6).

The Atlantic: Consider the Possibility That Trump Is Right About China
Nadia Schadlow, former deputy national-security adviser for strategy (4/5).

Bloomberg: To Beat the Global Pandemic, Empower Local Leaders
Michael R. Bloomberg, founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP and U.N. secretary-general’s special envoy for climate action (4/5).

Bloomberg: Taiwan’s Viral Success Makes It Harder to Ignore
Tim Culpan, Bloomberg Opinion columnist (4/5).

China.org.cn: From Ebola to COVID-19: West Africa must learn from the past and protect vulnerable people
Dorian Job, MSF West Africa program manager (4/3).

Devex: Opinion: The COVID-19 pandemic — peak of solidarity or peak of neocolonialism?
Dominique Vervoort, MPH/MBA student at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School (4/3).

Financial Times: We may not all be equal in the eyes of coronavirus
Angus Deaton, Nobel laureate and author (4/5).

Foreign Affairs: ‘America First’ Is a Dangerous Fantasy in a Pandemic
Philip H. Gordon, Mary and David Boies senior fellow in U.S. foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations (4/4).

The Guardian: What the 1918 flu pandemic can teach us about coronavirus drug trials
Laura Spinney, science journalist, novelist, and author (4/5).

The Hill: COVID-19 — the Global South must not be forgotten
Morgan Bazilian, professor of public policy at the Colorado School of Mines, and Jay Lemery, professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and author (4/5).

The Hill: When computer models create mayhem
Alan Beard, managing director of Interlink Capital Strategies (4/5).

The Hill: Want to stop pandemics? Strengthen public health systems in poor countries
Stevan Weine, professor of psychiatry, director of global medicine, and director of the Center for Global Health at the University of Illinois, Chicago, and Bellur Prabhakar, professor of microbiology and immunology and senior associate dean for research in the College of Medicine at the University of Illinois, Chicago (4/3).

NBC News: Trump enables Jared Kushner’s coronavirus task force, revealing the dangers of nepotism
Jordan Libowitz, communications director for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics (4/6).

New Humanitarian: How a local response can halt this global crisis
Jagan Chapagain, secretary general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (4/3).

New York Times: It’s High Time We Fought This Virus the American Way
James E. Baker, former legal adviser to the National Security Council (4/3).

New York Times: China and the U.S. Must Cooperate Against Coronavirus
Cui Tiankai, Chinese ambassador to the United States (4/5).

New York Times: How Did the E.U. Get the Coronavirus So Wrong?
Scott L. Greer, professor of health management and policy, global public health, and political science at the University of Michigan (4/6).

New York Times: Brace Yourself for Waves of Coronavirus Infections
Nicolas Kristof, opinion columnist at the New York Times (4/4).

New York Times: A Virus Doesn’t Care Where You’re From
Láolú Senbanjo, performance and visual artist, human rights lawyer, and activist (4/4).

Project Syndicate: Internationalizing the Crisis
Joseph E. Stiglitz, Nobel laureate in economics, university professor at Columbia University, and chief economist at the Roosevelt Institute (4/6).

STAT: The ‘certified recovered’ from Covid-19 could lead the economic recovery
Aaron Edlin, visiting scholar at the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics and professor of economics and law at UC Berkeley, and Bryce Nesbitt, co-founder of NextBus (4/6).

STAT: A deficit of more than 250,000 public health workers is no way to fight Covid-19
Robin Taylor Wilson, associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Temple University College of Public Health in Philadelphia and board member of the International Network for Epidemiology in Policy, and colleagues (4/5).

Wall Street Journal: Preparing for the Next Pandemic
Susan Desmond-Hellmann, adjunct professor at the University of California, San Francisco (4/3).

Washington Post: Democrats must investigate Trump’s coronavirus response
James Downie, digital opinions editor at the Washington Post (4/5).

Washington Post: Coronavirus is different from AIDS
Paul M. Renfro, assistant professor of history at Florida State University and author (4/6).

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From the Global Health Policy Community

Global Health Community Addresses Various Angles Of COVID-19 Pandemic; Canadian Government Outlines Global Response

Atlantic Council: A new ‘Asian drama’: Will COVID-19 destroy the progress against poverty eradication and human development in South and East Asia?
Ajay Chhibber, nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council (4/3).

Government of Canada: Canada’s support for international efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic (4/5).

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF): In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, other diseases will not relent (4/3).

Think Global Health: Fighting COVID-19 With One Hand Tied Behind Our Backs?
Roopa Dhatt, founder of Women in Global Health, and colleagues (4/3).

World Economic Forum: Why we need women’s leadership in the COVID-19 response
Jeremy Farrar, director of Wellcome Trust, and Geeta Rao Gupta, executive director of the 3D Program for Girls and Women (4/3).

World Economic Forum: Africa has a COVID-19 time bomb to defuse
Tolbert Nyenswah, senior research associate with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (4/6).

World Economic Forum: Why a coronavirus vaccine takes over a year to produce — and why that is incredibly fast
Elissa Prichep, project lead of Precision Medicine with the World Economic Forum (4/3).

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WHO, UNICEF Partner To Address COVID-19 Pandemic Through Solidarity Response Fund

WHO: WHO and UNICEF to partner on pandemic response through COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund
“WHO and UNICEF [on Friday] announced an agreement to work together on COVID-19 response, through the historic COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund powered by the United Nations Foundation and Swiss Philanthropy Foundation. The COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund has been set up to facilitate an unprecedented global response by supporting the WHO Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan. As part of the agreement, an initial portion of the money from the Fund — which currently stands at more than $127 million — will flow to UNICEF for its work with vulnerable children and communities all over the world…” (4/3).

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From the U.S. Government

President Trump, Vice President Pence, Members Of Coronavirus Task Force Provide Updates On U.S. Response To COVID-19 In Press Briefing

White House: Remarks by President Trump, Vice President Pence, and Members of the Coronavirus Task Force in Press Briefing
In this press briefing held Saturday afternoon, President Trump, Vice President Pence, and members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force discuss developments regarding the U.S. response to COVID-19 (4/5).

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From KFF

KFF Resources Examine Global, Domestic Issues Related To COVID-19 Pandemic

KFF: COVID-19 Coronavirus Tracker — Updated as of April 6, 2020 (4/6).

Additional KFF COVID-19 resources, including those focused on the response and impact within the U.S., are available here. KFF’s new blog series “Coronavirus Policy Watch” is available here.

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The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news, KFF is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California.