A pandemic in the 21st century silently and swiftly took over the world. This time the species on earth facing the biggest threat is sapiens, yes the Homo sapiens, the powerful Homo sapiens declared control not only on earth but in outer space too, now fighting against a virus. Ever since Homo sapiens ceased to live in harmony with nature, and challenging nature to control it unnaturally invites a strong reaction from nature, for her unique survival and invisible balance nature reacts in different forms from environmental catastrophe to a virus that made the whole world upside down.
A microorganism that is smaller than a bacterium cannot grow or reproduce apart from a living cell. Viruses are microscopic parasites, generally much smaller than bacteria. They lack the capacity to thrive and reproduce outside of a host body ’. (https://www.livescience.com/53272) .
The 2014 outbreak of Ebola in West Africa, and the2009 H1N1/swine flu pandemic, were the recent examples but what has been learnt in the last decade? Has Homo sapiens changed their living style? If they could have changed their way of living, then we might not witness this pandemic. The year 2020 over, 2021 begin but the challenges of pandemic (COVID19) are far from over. The world has to find and adapt to the new normal.
Will a virus change the world? Yes it has changed, it is changing socially economically and politically, and poverty impacts are visible, shrinking developing economies, jobs cut down, access to food and basic health care exposed a wide gap between having and have not.
But the question is how do Homo sapiens change and challenge the status quo and learn from the pandemic? To answer this here under suggesting;
- World must change to adopt a policy of greater good for all.
- Economic Equity model must be formed for sustainable social development.
- Political morality will play a key role in the post Covid19 world order.
- Health care management and public access to basic health care must be a top priority for good governance.
- Defence spending should be rationalised and spending should be turned towards collective global health care efforts.
- Sustainable environment for economic development.
Trillions of dollars annual defence spending, in 2019 Countries with the biggest defence budgets are 1. United States of America – $717bn, 2.China – $177bn. (https://www.army-technology.com/features/biggest-military-budgets-world/) .
That is just an example, the greedy war business has certain impacts on life both tangible and intangible, and this war business has to be transformed to form better public health.
But for health specifically public health these developed countries are far away to challenge and fight against COVID. This has exposed the government and their governance, specifically the health care system. Now the world has to act to formulate a sustainable health model on priority, there is no time left to wait for another pandemic to happen.
A vaccine against COVID19 is developed and ready to inject to haves but the poor will be left to fate.
While the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is unknown, the World Bank estimates that an additional 88 million to 115 million people will fall into extreme poverty in 2020, with the total rising to as many as 150 million by 2021. Around 1.89 billion people, or nearly 36% of the world’s population, lived in extreme poverty. Nearly half the population in developing countries lived on less than $1.25 a day. We may say the World population is around 8bn, and around 2bn live in extreme poverty. The world has to wake up from the capital‘s greed and formulate a comprehensive plan to vaccinate everyone.
A new era of global cooperation is inevitable, states have to set aside their political differences for the sake of collective survival, society as a whole has to generate a healthy dialogue to enhance tolerance and promote kindness. The world leaders must not act against humans but for humanity, this may bring a change and a hope towards a better world, a new world order.
In this regard UN future role is very important, this is for the survival of UN to strengthen the writ and institutions under UN umbrella-like WHO, that must work out for future global health structure where poor has a fundamental right to access better health care, where medical staff get good incentive along with specific training to fight against the future pandemic. An initiative of the global medical force would be a good idea to work against an unseen disease, where top scientists, doctors, Paramedical staff, nurses, all work together as a global health emergency response force, a well-equipped, trained and resourced global health force is our future need. MNCs and rich governments must bring unprecedented support for the said global health force for a sustainable health care system for the protection of nature and Homo sapiens.
Peaceful coexistence is the only viable option for a better world, here peaceful coexistence means Homo sapiens must learn to live with nature respectfully, and strong moral commitment is the prerequisite to this.
Ending this article with few questions?
Has WHO played the role that it should?
Now as vaccines came with the threat of the virus variant but still is a hope this will be in control. Is not this a time for collective social responsibility? Where is the corporate social responsibility of MNCs? Will capitalism wake up for the sake of collective good, a common objective to save humanity? How do eight billion people in the world get vaccinated? If the rich get vaccines and the poor left, how will this gap impact further upon socially, politically and economically?
And at the end leaving a question?
Is developing a vaccine would be enough to stop the next pandemic?
- A New World Order - 07/01/2021
- I am the Rebel… - 20/11/2020
- A Few Good Things Mighty Homo Sapiens Can Learn from the Virus - 30/08/2020
