Global health experts address leaders for global action plan and suggest five-points

Global health scholars, advocates, and practitioners who are deeply troubled by the lack of global leadership in the struggle against Covid-19 have written a letter to the presidents, prime ministers, elders and champions requesting to spearhead a global Covid-19 response and recovery action plan.

They have asked the leaders to advocate for and monitor adherence to a global Covid-19 response and recovery action plan where WHO and the United Nations are fully involved as they are playing a central role in a coordinated global response.

The health experts have given a five-point action plan which could cover funding targets and mobilization, equity-based principles, and targets, monitoring, and evaluation, along with strategies in key areas, like equitable distribution of medical supplies and equipment and of tests, therapies, and vaccines.

The elements of the plan are:

1. Principles include human rights, national and global equity, non-discrimination and protection of marginalized and vulnerable populations, and global solidarity.

2. The plan would include global funding targets that encompass the universe of international funding needed to support low- and middle-income countries, including funding for health systems for the immediate response and longer-term recovery and strengthening, food security and other social safety net programs, bridging the digital divide and enabling schools to reopen safely, and sustaining employment, as well as longer-term social and economic recovery.

3. The global action plan would provide a strategy for creating the manufacturing base required for rapidly and maximally scaling up production of successful vaccine candidates and therapies, wherever and whichever companies, organizations, or partnerships may develop them.

4. The plan would also encompass other global actions, forms of global cooperation and coordination, and national actions affecting the capacity of other countries to respond to and recover from Covid-19 and its consequences.

5. Lastly, to ensure accountability, the plan would encompass monitoring and evaluation, with countries and international organizations regularly reporting on their actions with respect to the plan's funding targets and actions.