COVID-19 provides a once in a generation challenge to many governments across the globe. We have been challenged to assess our governance systems as death tolls continue to rise in correlation with poor strategic planning. What has become clear is that cooperation, both in the sense of national response and the assembly of global resources, is the greatest weapon against fighting a pandemic.
Some countries are plagued by the politics of division, struggling to form a joint stance as many find themselves detached and disenfranchised from the ruling government. COVID-19 and its remarkable impact on our livelihood has highlighted both the good and bad, where united countries have proven formidable, and those afflicted with the politics of division have been left at a grieving standstill.
Successful cases of fighting the virus, have displayed national unity and a global cooperation that meant the severity of the virus was understood early on. Strong ties with international unions heralded a joint understanding that the outbreak constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern at the earliest stage, as deemed so by WHO (World Health Organization) on the 30th of January 2020. This kind of global cooperation is only possible with strong leadership.
Cooperation isn’t possible without strong leadership. Heads of government dictate the direction of partnership and without strong belief from the population towards those at the helm, the likelihood is that the masses won’t fall in line and therefore infections will continue to rise.
Singapore, a country that prides itself in its multiculturalism and diversity, has been highlighted as one of the more successful cases in battling the virus. Its president, Halimah Yacob, called for greater sharing of knowledge and a coordinated, rapid global response as a critical antidote.
At the time of writing, Singapore has 879 cases of COVID-19 and just 3 deaths and its rate of recoveries has outpaced infections. According to Michael Merson, director of the SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute, leadership and faith in the administration has been key to this success.
“There’s strong government leadership, but also trust in the government,” said Merson, who used to run the World Health Organization’s anti-AIDS program. “ Every time a case is identified there is a very strong action plan to identify contacts. It’s also very good at promoting hand-washing and keeping people at a safe distance from one another.”
Rwanda proves to be another example where strong leadership, national unity and a strong sense of global cooperation have produced 0 deaths from COVID-19 so far. Posting on Twitter, President Kagame said that WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had the full confidence and support of Africa, showing solidarity with Dr. Tedros in the face of criticism from President Donald Trump.
The Rwandan government acted preemptively to enforce a strict nationwide lockdown in order to halt transmission. The government also announced that cabinet ministers and top officials would donate their April salaries to the fight against the coronavirus epidemic, showing the harmony within the government as an institution.
These comparisons are stark in contrast to the situations in Europe, where actions have been taken too late and cooperation has been hindered due to divisive politics.
The United Kingdom, coming off the back of Brexit, cut political ties with the EU and formed a national stance that said ‘we will be better off on our own’. Poetically, the UK currently faces a resource crisis and it has been alleged that the UK was given ‘ample opportunity’ to join an EU scheme on huge purchases of ventilators, laboratory supplies and personal protective equipment.
What was deemed to be a mistake in communication has now been claimed to be ‘a political decision’ by senior UK officials, “ adding more weight to the idea that Britain’s infatuation with isolating
from the EU has deepened its Coronavirus crisis even further.
Just across the Atlantic Ocean, the United States has reached over 1 million COVID-19 cases. President Trump, who has centered his political ideology on nationalism, was late to appreciate the severity of the virus’ global impact, which has resulted in the US having the most deaths globally due to COVID-19.
Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz in an interview with The Guardian said that Trump and the establishment’s mismanagement had led the US to go into the crisis unprepared.
“We were unprepared but, even given the degree of unpreparedness, Trump’s decision to make this about politics rather than about science has meant we have responded far more poorly.”
As many politicians have found success in a style of nationalism that vilifies the outside world, COVID-19 has reminded us that some wars cannot be won with the military and political independence. What we are beginning to learn is that cooperation and unity both at home and abroad remains our greatest weapon against global crisis.
By Peter Ndahiro
Communications practitioner with a specific interest in digital content