October 2021: Multilateralism and data tracking viewed as necessary for global coronavirus recovery efforts

As the COVID-19 pandemic approaches 20 months, Johns Hopkins SAIS experts are commenting on cooperation on global health efforts and combatting economic impacts of coronavirus, and how food systems data factors into monitoring for future pandemics. 

 

Kent E. Calder, Interim Dean, detailed why the U.S. and Japan are natural partners in the global recovery from COVID-19 due to their technical healthcare expertise for Fletcher Security Review, writing "Japan produces key optical components for diagnostic equipment and has a strong high-tech manufacturing sector, while the United States is a world leader in medical technology innovation." 

 

Josh Michaud, Adjunct Lecturer of International Development, contributed to a Kaiser Family Foundation report focused on vaccine equity following the United Nations General Assembly, warning that “if current rates continue, some of these disparities may grow and many low-income countries will not meet global targets” such as reaching 40 percent vaccination coverage by the end of 2021 and 70 percent by mid-2022.

 

Jacqueline Mazza, Senior Adjunct Professor of International Development and Latin American Studies, commented on the shortcomings of Russia and China’s vaccine diplomacy in Latin American countries like Venezuela in the Associated Press, telling the outlet “there’s a lot of emphasis on the agreements and the numbers, and then the delivery of those vaccines, but the figures [about vaccines] are not giving us the true story."

 

Johannes Urpelainen, Director and Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Professor of Energy, Resources and Environment, discussed the importance of international cooperation to combat the global economic impacts of COVID-19 during an IMPRI Impact and Policy Research Institute webinar, but he asked if nations will show a similar commitment to climate change and "start making the investments that they need to make to decabornize the world economy." (Fast forward to the 16:50 mark)

 

Jessica Fanzo, Interim Vice Dean and Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Global Food & Agricultural Policy and Ethics, described how food systems data factors into the environment and public health in an interview with the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center website, where she explained “there's a real push to do better surveillance and tracking of those future pandemic risks around zoonotic diseases such as COVID-19, and predictive modeling data on the food system is central to that conversation."