OPINION – COVID-19 Upending the Sustainable Development Goals: It Need Not

(GOFAD) The devastating trends of COVID 19 continue.   Judging from the experiences in Italy, Spain, and in USA, especially in New York, California, Louisiana and the increasing impact on over 190 countries the world over, the war against this invisible enemy is deadly not delusional. The new reality as expressed in a recent tracking  report shows the expected exponential rate of spread, excessive demands on  health systems and the stress on health practitioners suffering from lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), helmets and ventilators. The  projected number of deaths from COVID-19 in the USA is estimated to be approximately  93,500  by August.  This is frightening. It  is a reflection of the gravity  of the situation likely to afflict other countries. http:covid19.healthdata.org/.
 
To stem the social and economic effects of this devastation, there are examples that there is  need for policies and programmes to mitigate the effects on workers  losing  their jobs, renters and homeowners being evicted, bankruptcies of companies, avoided,  and business and trade networks, preserved.  These are all prerequisites for mitigation to ensure that recovery will occur sooner and more smoothly. The enormity of the challenge  is visible in many of the developed countries. Yet an IMF Report illustrates how the challenge is even greater for low-income and emerging economies that face capital flight and will require grants and financing from the global community . Antonio Gutérres, UN Secretary General advocates a Global Humanitarian Fund.
 

“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” (Nelson Mandela)
 
Nelson Mandela’s aspirations are reflected in the sustainable solutions to cope with this situation  gleaned from lessons learned.  China, South Korea and Singapore that have flattened and bent the curve downward provide templates charting the difficulties they faced, the measures that proved most successful in mitigating the human and business impacts of the virus, and how their operational emphasis shifted throughout the stages of  the  epidemic based on “hopes” rather than “fears”. 

Read more at: Global Frontier Advisory and Development Services

Source: CARICOM TODAY