Special Notice
KFF, in partnership with the Global Health Council, will hold
a discussion on Tuesday, April 28 from 12-1 pm ET on the challenges and
opportunities of resource mobilization in response to COVID-19 in low- and
middle-income countries (LMICs). Scroll down to the “From KFF” section of
the report for further detail.
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Wednesday, Apr 22, 2020
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In The News
Devex: WFP chief
warns of 'hunger pandemic' as COVID-19 threatens food security
"An already bleak global food security picture will be compounded as
the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic destroy livelihoods, disrupt
supply chains, strain national budgets, and restrict trade, the Global
Network Against Food Crises has warned. The concerns were raised Tuesday as
the group released its annual 'Global Report on Food Crises,'
which calculated that 135 million people in 55 countries and territories
were suffering from acute food insecurity. That number could double as
another 130 million are impacted by the pandemic, World Food Programme
Executive Director David Beasley told the U.N.
Security Council..." (Welsh, 4/22).
The Guardian:
'Millions hang by a thread': extreme global hunger compounded by Covid-19
"The warning from the World Food Programme (WFP) that 265 million
people could be pushed into acute food insecurity by Covid-19, almost
doubling last year's total, is based on a complex combination of factors.
WFP's latest warning underlines the increasing concern among experts in the
field that for many the biggest impact will not be the disease, but the
hunger hanging off its coat tails..." (Beaumont, 4/21).
U.N. News: As
famines of 'biblical proportion' loom, Security Council urged to 'act fast'
"The world is not only facing 'a global health pandemic but also a
global humanitarian catastrophe,' the U.N. food relief agency chief told
the Security Council on Tuesday via video link. Noting that the global
spread of COVID-19 this year has sparked 'the worst humanitarian crisis
since World War Two,' Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP)
David Beasley pointed to deepening crises, more frequent natural disasters
and changing weather patterns, saying 'we're already facing a perfect
storm'..." (4/21).
U.N. News: Onset
of COVID-19 pandemic boosts support for international cooperation
"Initial results of a U.N. initiative to help decide the future
direction of the Organization have revealed overwhelming support for
international cooperation, which has grown significantly since COVID-19
began spreading around the world. The data, gathered from hundreds of
conversations, and an online survey involving some 186 countries, form part
of the United Nations' 75th anniversary initiative (UN75). Launched in
January 2020, this is the largest exercise mounted by the Organization to
gather public opinion and crowdsource solutions to global challenges..."
(4/20).
AP: Lack of virus
testing stokes fears in world’s refugee camps
"There are over 70 million people worldwide who have been driven from
their homes by war and unrest, up to 10 million are packed into refugee
camps and informal settlements, and almost none have been tested for the
coronavirus..." (Krauss et al., 4/22).
NPR: How Do You Do
Contact Tracing? Poor Countries Have Plenty Of Advice
"...Contact tracing is used all over the world, including in the U.S.
The idea is to track down anyone in recent contact with a newly diagnosed
patient, then monitor the health of these contacts. In the developing
world, it's been a valuable tool in fighting infectious diseases like Ebola
and tuberculosis. Public health workers there have lots of experience. So
as the U.S. hires potentially hundreds of thousands of contact tracers to
contain the coronavirus, health departments could be looking to models from
such regions as Africa, South Asia, and Latin America on how these teams
will do their work..." (Beaubien, 4/22).
Additional coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic's impact
on refugees and the world's poorest countries is available from Al Jazeera and IPS.
AFRICA
The Guardian:
Zimbabwe faces malaria outbreak as it locks down to counter coronavirus
(Chingono, 4/21).
Washington Post:
South Africa is hunting down coronavirus with thousands of health workers
(Mogotsi/Bearak, 4/21).
ASIA
Devex: COVID-19
halts Northern Triangle migration, but deportations continue (Welsh, 4/21).
New Humanitarian:
Bracing for the coronavirus in Myanmar's rebel-held borderlands (Htusan,
4/21).
New York Times:
How Coronavirus Infected Some, but Not All, in a Restaurant (Chang, 4/20).
Reuters: India
presidential palace isolates 500 over virus scare, Pakistan's Khan to be
tested (Miglani et al., 4/21).
Reuters: Vietnam's
leadership, public showing strong response to contain coronavirus: WHO
(Petty, 4/21).
Washington Post:
Singapore Lost Control of its Coronavirus Outbreak, and Migrant Workers are
the Victims (Mahtani/Chowdhury, 4/21).
EUROPE
The Guardian: Boy
with Covid-19 did not transmit disease to more than 170 contacts (Sample,
4/21).
NPR: Italy Finally
Sees Its 1st Drop In Active Coronavirus Cases (Chappell, 4/21).
POLITICO: Moscow's
coronavirus offensive (Roberts, 4/21).
LATIN AMERICA
AP: Brazil's
government, states fight for pandemic supplies (Jeantet, 4/22).
Reuters: Masks
reused and bodies mount as Peru strains under coronavirus (Aquino, 4/22).
MIDDLE EAST
Washington Post:
Lebanon is in a big mess. But on coronavirus, it’s doing something right (Sly,
4/22).
NORTH AMERICA
AP: Timeline
reset: CDC confirms weeks-earlier California deaths (Beam, 4/22)
The Atlantic: Let
Volunteers Take the COVID Challenge (Friedersdorf, 4/21).
The Hill: CDC
director warns second wave of coronavirus might be 'more difficult'
(Budryk, 4/21).
POLITICO: 'A
crippling blow to America's prestige': The government struggles to meet the
moment (White, 4/21).
Reuters: CDC chief
warns second COVID-19 wave may be worse, arriving with flu season (Gorman,
4/21).
Science: United
States should allow volunteers to be infected with coronavirus to test
vaccines, lawmakers argue (Cohen, 4/21).
AP: Tensions arise
as E.U. leaders mull huge virus recovery plan
"European Union leaders are preparing for a new virtual summit to take
stock of the damage the coronavirus has inflicted on the lives and
livelihoods of the bloc's citizens and to thrash out a more robust plan to
revive their ravaged economies..." (Cook, 4/22).
Financial Times:
U.K. ministers struggle for control of coronavirus strategy
"Ministers on Tuesday attempted to get a grip on the government's
coronavirus strategy following confusion over efforts to obtain life-saving
medical equipment and the revelation that fewer than one-fifth of virus
tests promised by the end of the month were being carried out..." (Parker
et al., 4/22).
POLITICO: E.U.
leaders draft coronavirus recovery plan
"Europe's recovery from the coronavirus should focus on strengthening
the 'strategic autonomy' of its industry to reduce reliance on foreign
suppliers, according to a 'roadmap' from E.U. leaders. Leaders of the
European Council and the E.U.'s executive arm put the plan together ahead
of a video conference on Thursday of the bloc's 27 government chiefs, who
are due to sign off on a €540 billion aid package aiming to safeguard
companies, workers, and governments from economic ruin..." (Smith-Meyer,
4/21).
POLITICO:
Coronavirus won't kill globalization, but will clip its wings
"...Fearing they have undermined their security through overreliance
on China, European politicians are stressing that manufacturing must return
to the E.U. ... For the self-sufficiency hard-liners, that means rolling
back globalization. Armed with new technologies like 3D printers, they see
a prime opportunity to rein in supply chains for machinery that stretch out
to East Asia..." (Vela, 4/22).
The Hill: Trump
speaks with Boris Johnson as U.K. leader recovers from coronavirus
"President Trump on Tuesday spoke with British Prime Minister Boris
Johnson, who was recently discharged from the hospital after being treated
for the coronavirus. The two leaders discussed global efforts to combat the
coronavirus pandemic as well as efforts to secure a trade agreement between
the United States and United Kingdom, according to spokespeople from the
White House and 10 Downing Street..." (Chalfant, 4/21).
The Telegraph:
British scientist to head U.N. task force distributing Covid-19 vaccine as
U.S. blocks G20 agreement
"One of Britain's most influential pharmaceutical bosses has been
appointed to lead a global task force which is hoped will speed the
equitable distribution of a Covid-19 vaccine around the world. Sir Andrew
Witty, former chief executive of the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), is set to lead
an expert body which will organize the global effort to boost vaccine
manufacturing capacity and ensure it is effectively and fairly distributed.
... On Sunday G20 Health Ministers came within a single vote of publishing
a detailed agreement, seen by The Telegraph, outlining a 'global response'
to the pandemic. But the 52-paragraph communique remains a draft after its
publication was scuppered by the United States due to wording in support of
the WHO's role as coordinator of a global response..." (Newey/Nuki,
4/22).
POLITICO: Trump,
the 'King of Ventilators,' may donate some machines to African countries
"U.S. officials are drafting a plan to donate ventilators to African
countries battling the novel coronavirus, an effort that comes as President
Donald Trump boasts of how recently ramped-up production has made him the
'king of ventilators.' The still-preliminary plan, confirmed by two Trump
administration officials, could save lives on a continent sorely lacking
such machines and enhance America's standing in the face of Chinese efforts
to gain diplomatic dominance across Africa..." (Toosi, 4/21).
Reuters: U.S.
readying 'substantial' aid to help Yemen fight coronavirus
"The United States is preparing a 'substantial contribution' to help
Yemen combat the coronavirus, but it may have to find alternatives to the
World Health Organization (WHO) to spend it, a senior U.S. official told
Reuters, days after President Donald Trump slammed the U.N. agency's
handling of the pandemic..." (Pamuk/Nichols, 4/21).
Reuters: Afghan
prisoner exchanges, U.S. peace plan threatened by coronavirus
"The coronavirus pandemic threatens to unravel a U.S. effort to end
the war in Afghanistan if Taliban and government prisoners die in custody
before they can be exchanged, four sources familiar with the matter said on
Monday. Keeping the U.S. peace plan on track has acquired particular
urgency as the spring fighting season nears, two sources said, given the
danger that accelerating violence could make it harder to contain the
COVID-19 respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus..." (Landay,
4/21).
Washington Post:
U.S. is deporting infected migrants back to vulnerable countries
"...Since the coronavirus struck the United States, immigration
authorities have deported dozens of infected migrants, leaving governments
and nonprofits across Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean struggling
to respond. When some countries resisted continued deportations, U.S.
officials said they would screen migrants slated for removal. But they did
not commit to administering coronavirus tests. In many instances, the
screenings, which consist primarily of taking a person’s temperature, have
failed to detect cases. Even though overall deportations declined this
month, the United States has returned thousands of people across the
Western Hemisphere in April..." (Sieff/Miroff, 4/21).
Devex: Sen. Coons:
Convincing lawmakers to support global COVID-19 response is a 'struggle'
"Some U.S. lawmakers are working to include $12 billion in support for
the global COVID-19 response in a future funding package, but it's not
easy. 'It has been a struggle in calls with a number of my colleagues to
get them to embrace and respond to the idea that this is a critical
international moment for the United States to show its engagement, its
effectiveness, and its compassion for the rest of the world,' Sen. Chris
Coons, a Democrat from Delaware, said Tuesday at a briefing organized by
CARE. Americans and U.S. lawmakers are focused almost exclusively on the
domestic response to the pandemic, Coons said, adding that 90% of the
conversations he is having with other senators are about domestic
response..." (Saldinger, 4/21).
AP: China calls
virus lawsuit brought by U.S. state 'very absurd'
"China on Wednesday slammed a lawsuit brought against it by the U.S.
state of Missouri over the coronavirus pandemic as 'very absurd.' Foreign
ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the legal action has 'no factual and
legal basis at all' and repeated China's defense of its response to the
outbreak, which has largely subsided in the country where it was first
detected..." (4/22).
AP: Missouri
lawsuit alleges China caused coronavirus pandemic
"The state of Missouri filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Chinese
government over the coronavirus, alleging that nation's officials are to
blame for the global pandemic. The lawsuit, filed in federal court by the
state's top lawyer, alleges Chinese officials are 'responsible for the
enormous death, suffering, and economic losses they inflicted on the world,
including Missourians'..." (Ballentine, 4/21).
STAT: Director of
U.S. agency key to vaccine development leaves role suddenly amid
coronavirus pandemic
"Rick Bright, one of the nation's leading vaccine development experts
and the director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development
Authority, is no longer leading the organization, officials told STAT. The
shakeup at the agency, known as BARDA, couldn't come at a more inopportune
time for the office, which invests in drugs, devices, and other
technologies that help address infectious disease outbreaks and which has
been at the center of the government's coronavirus pandemic response.
Bright, whose departure was confirmed by three industry sources and two current
Trump administration sources, will instead move into a narrower role at the
National Institutes of Health. Gary Disbrow, Bright's former deputy at
BARDA, will serve as the acting director of the office, an HHS spokesperson
confirmed to STAT..." (Florko, 4/21).
Additional coverage of Bright's departure from BARDA,
as well as reporting on U.S. scientists Anthony Fauci, director of the
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and NIH Director
Francis Collins, is available from The Atlantic, The Hill, Reuters, and STAT.
POLITICO: NIH
panel issues first guidance on coronavirus drugs
"Coronavirus treatment guidelines issued
by a government panel conclude there is not enough data on some of the most
touted drugs -- including hydroxychloroquine, which the panel said should
not be used outside clinical trials when paired with antibiotics. The
group, organized by the National Institutes of Health, includes physicians,
statisticians and other experts from both government agencies and health
organizations. Its guidelines break potential Covid-19 treatments into two
categories: antivirals such as the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine and
Gilead's experimental drug remdesivir, and immune system-focused therapies
like convalescent plasma or certain arthritis medicines. There is not
enough data for or against the vast majority of the medicines, the panel
said in its 'living document', while warning against using some outside of
clinical trials..." (Owermohle, 4/21).
Reuters: Drug
championed by Trump for coronavirus shows no benefit, possible harm in
study awaiting validation
"An old malaria drug touted by U.S. President Donald Trump as a 'game
changer' in the fight against the coronavirus provided no benefit and
potentially higher risk of death for patients at U.S. veterans hospitals,
according to an analysis that has been submitted for expert review..."
(Beasley, 4/21).
POLITICO: U.N.
chief says there's a bigger threat than coronavirus
"United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres will use a speech
marking the 50th Earth Day on Wednesday to confront President Donald Trump
and directly link coronavirus with climate change. The stark language of
Guterres' prepared remarks, obtained by POLITICO, marks a new willingness
by the U.N. chief to challenge the Trump administration, which recently
halted funding to the World Health Organization, the U.N. health agency,
and formally withdrew from the U.N.'s landmark 2015 Paris climate change
agreement last year..." (Heath, 4/21).
Devex: What does
COVID-19 mean for climate action? (Igoe, 4/22).
Al Jazeera: Can
the tuberculosis vaccine help save coronavirus patients? (4/20).
AP: N. Korea
silence on Kim's health raises succession speculation (Kim, 4/22).
Homeland Preparedness News:
Preclinical tests demonstrate potential vaccine's capability to fight all
four Ebola species (Galford, 4/21).
Science:
Coronavirus found in Paris sewage points to early warning system
(Lesté-Lasserre, 4/21).
Science: Antibody
surveys suggesting vast undercount of coronavirus infections may be
unreliable (Vogel, 4/21).
Undark: To Fight
Locusts, Historic Rivals India and Pakistan Team Up (Del Bello, 4/20).
U.N. News:
Assistance ramped up to DR Congo's South Kivu as floods kill dozens (4/21).
Vox: The
coronavirus pandemic has people rethinking their plans for having kids
(North, 4/21).
Washington Post:
Around the world, the devout are adapting their rituals to fit life under
the coronavirus (Berger, 4/22).
Editorials and Opinions
The Conversation:
What if the vaccine or drugs don't save us? Plan B for coronavirus means
research on alternatives is urgently needed
Tammy Hoffmann, professor of clinical epidemiology, and Paul Glasziou,
professor of medicine, both at Bond University (4/21).
The Conversation:
The five criteria low-income countries must have in place for lockdowns to
work
Sam Jones, Eva-Maria Egger, and Ricardo Santos, all research fellows at the
World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) at the
United Nations University (4/20).
The Conversation:
Five ways collective intelligence can help beat coronavirus in developing
countries
Kathy Peach, head of the Centre for Collective Intelligence Design at
Nesta, and Ian Gray, PhD candidate at the University of Exeter (4/20).
Devex: Opinion:
Why a strong cold chain is more critical than ever to defeat COVID-19
Raja Rao, director of cold-chain strategy and markets at B Medical Systems
(4/21).
Forbes: What The
1918 Pandemic And The Great Recession Can Teach Us In Responding To
COVID-19 Today
Bill Frist, heart and lung transplant surgeon and former U. S. Senate
Majority Leader (4/21).
The Guardian:
Coronavirus is the biggest disaster for developing nations in our lifetime
Ian Goldin, professor of globalization and development at Oxford University
and author (4/21).
The Hill: Even
without our leaders, Americans can lead on coronavirus
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) (4/21).
IPS: Reimagining a
Post-COVID World: Key Principles for the Future
Mandeep Tiwana, chief programs officer at CIVICUS (4/21).
The Lancet Global Health:
Answering the right questions for policymakers on COVID-19
Ellie Graeden, founder and CEO of Talus Analytics and center affiliate and
adjunct faculty; Colin Carlson, assistant research professor; and Rebecca
Katz, director and professor, all at the Center for Global Health Science
and Security at Georgetown University (4/20).
Mother Jones: Why
Will It Take So Long to Develop a Coronavirus Vaccine?
Kevin Drum, political blogger for Mother Jones (4/21).
New York Times:
What Is the Coronavirus Doing to North Korea?
Nicholas Eberstadt, political economist at the American Enterprise
Institute and founding director of the United States Committee on Human
Rights in North Korea (4/22).
New York Times:
The World Has a $2.5 Trillion Problem. Here's How to Solve It.
Maitreesh Ghatak, Xavier Jaravel, and Jonathan Weigel, all professors at
the London School of Economics (4/20).
Project Syndicate:
Shelter from the Middle East's Perfect Storm
Bassem Awadallah, CEO of Tomoh Advisory, and Adeel Malik, associate
professor of development economics at the University of Oxford (4/21).
Project Syndicate:
Don't Waste the Pandemic Response
Bertrand Badré, CEO of Blue like an Orange Sustainable Capital and author
(4/21).
Project Syndicate:
Averting a COVID-19 Security Crisis in Africa
Abebe Bekele, founding dean and deputy vice chancellor of academic and
research affairs at the University of Global Health Equity, professor of
surgery at Addis Ababa University's School of Medicine, and fellow of the
College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa and of the
American College of Surgeons (4/21).
Project Syndicate:
Dealing with China After COVID-19
Chris Patten, chancellor of the University of Oxford (4/21).
Project Syndicate:
How Aging Societies Should Respond to Pandemics
Andrew Scott, professor of economics at the London Business School and
consulting scholar at the Stanford Center on Longevity (4/22).
STAT: People are
dying from coronavirus because we're not fast enough at clinical research
Matthew Herper, senior writer for medicine at STAT (4/22).
STAT: If pharma
helps quench the Covid-19 pandemic, what will it want in return?
Stewart Lyman, biotechnology consultant and vaccine advocate (4/21).
USA TODAY: Could
an old vaccine be a godsend for new coronavirus?
Konstantin Chumakov, associate director for research in the FDA Office of
Vaccines Research and Review and director of its Global Virus Network
Center of Excellence, and Robert Gallo, Homer & Martha Gudelsky
distinguished professor in medicine, co-founder and director of the
Institute Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine,
and co-founder and international scientific adviser of the Global Virus
Network (4/21).
Washington Post:
Trump and his allies are using the pandemic to push an unrelated agenda
Editorial Board (4/21).
Washington Post:
The pandemic didn't come out of nowhere. The U.S. ignored the warnings
Editorial Board (4/21).
Washington Post:
Australia's leader is winning the argument on the coronavirus
Richard Glover, presenter for the 'Drive' show on ABC Radio Sydney and
author (4/21).
Washington Post:
How to avoid a pandemic Patriot Act
David Ignatius, columnist at the Washington Post (4/21).
Washington Post:
Letters to the Editor: Examining the WHO and the what-if's of the pandemic
William B. Wood, former ambassador to Colombia and Afghanistan, former
senior State Department official on Iran sanctions, and former head of the
State Department U.N. bureau (4/21).
From the Global Health Policy Community
BMJ Opinion:
Covid-19 and addiction -- a secret burden during this pandemic
Rachel Bannister, co-founder of the campaign group Mental Health -- Time
for Action (4/21).
World Economic Forum:
This is why keeping global supply chains moving is key to overcoming
COVID-19
Anabel González, non-resident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for
International Economics (4/20).
World Economic Forum:
Will COVID-19 lead to the global resurgence of other deadly diseases?
Sean Fleming, senior writer for formative content at the World Economic
Forum (4/21).
World Health Organization:
WHO guidance helps detect iron deficiency and protect brain development
"Detecting iron deficiency early during pregnancy and in young
children is crucial. Iron deficiency in children under two years of age can
have significant and irreversible effects on brain development. This can lead
to negative consequences on learning and school performance later in life.
Cognitive development of a child can also be affected if a mother is iron
deficient during her last trimester of pregnancy. New World Health
Organization guidelines on the use of ferritin concentrations to assess
iron status in individuals and populations will help health workers to
detect iron deficiency early and avoid the most severe impacts..." (4/20).
From the U.S. Government
White House:
Remarks by President Trump and Members of the Coronavirus Task Force in
Press Briefing
In this press briefing held Tuesday, President Trump and members of the
White House Coronavirus Task Force discuss developments regarding the U.S.
response to COVID-1 (4/21).
USAID: COVID-19
Global Response -- Fact Sheet #1 FY20
This fact sheet provides details on U.S. efforts to address COVID-19
globally, highlighting key developments in the U.S. response, the U.S.
action plan to support the international response, and regional summaries
(4/21).
USAID: U.S.
Government Provides Humanitarian Assistance in Response to Tropical Cyclone
Harold in the Pacific
"The U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID), is providing $400,000 in immediate assistance to
support the response to Tropical Cyclone Harold, which unleashed severe
destruction during its week-long path across the southern Pacific Islands.
With this funding, USAID is working with partners on the ground in Fiji,
the Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu to provide shelter assistance and
critical relief items in affected areas..." (4/21).
From the
Kaiser Family Foundation
KFF, in partnership with the Global Health Council
(GHC), presents a discussion on Tuesday, April 28 from 12:00-1:00 pm ET, on
the challenges and opportunities of resource mobilization in response to
COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Speakers will share
updates on how COVID-19 is impacting global health programs and review
recent data of COVID-19 funding trends. This is the third discussion in the
GHC conversation series on COVID-19.
Speakers include Jennifer Kates, senior vice president and director of
Global Health & HIV Policy at KFF; Loyce Pace, president and executive
director of the Global Health Council; and representatives from the
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), Medtronic Foundation,
and World Vision. Register here (4/21).
KFF: COVID-19
Coronavirus Tracker -- Updated as of April 22, 2020 (4/22).
KFF: The U.S.
Government and the World Health Organization (4/16).
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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