Project Syndicate: How to Improve on a Good Year for Global Health
Melvin Sanicas, medical director at Takeda

“…The discovery of many new viruses, vaccines, and treatments in 2019 was the result of investments in global surveillance, cross-sector partnerships, and scientific advances. But much more needs to be done. For example, we are only beginning to understand the impact of climate change on the emergence of infectious diseases and on the social and environmental determinants of health. Science may have been successful last year, but it still needs support. This should include more high-quality education in the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), increased funding of global research collaborations, and continued government support for innovation and research and development. At a time when misinformation is calling into question the validity of facts, the world also needs better science communication — including higher-quality science reporting by the mass media. This year started with a mysterious outbreak in Wuhan, China, involving individuals who have contracted a novel coronavirus. … Science helped the world with the pandemic H1N1, SARS, and Ebola viruses, and science will once again help the world overcome this new threat…” (1/27).