• Latest
  • Trending
Fortunately for people here, Singapore was among the minority of countries that acted quickly.ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

Will the world fail to prepare for the next pandemic?

January 26, 2021
India’s top cement maker paying for Russian coal in Chinese yuan

India’s top cement maker paying for Russian coal in Chinese yuan

June 29, 2022
Central Bank of Sri Lanka

Steps taken to prevent US Dollar from overshooting – The Central Bank of Sri Lanka

June 29, 2022
Australia tour of Sri Lanka 2022

WATCH: 1st Test – Day 1 | Australia tour of Sri Lanka 2022

June 29, 2022
dollar

Dollar falters as US yields retreat amid recession risks

June 29, 2022
Kamal Haasan's Vikram is on a rampage.

Kamal Haasan’s Vikram is the highest-grossing film in Singapore, UK and UAE

June 29, 2022
PM Narendra Modi conveyed his personal condolences on the passing away of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan last month to President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. (Photo: Twitter/@MEAIndia)

PM Modi meets UAE President Sheikh Mohamed in Abu Dhabi

June 29, 2022
Mukesh Ambani

Mukesh Ambani steps down as director of Reliance Jio

June 29, 2022
Bus

Bus fares increased from July in Sri Lanka

June 29, 2022
Electricity

Power cut schedule for June 29 in Sri Lanka

June 29, 2022
Fuel. Image credits - Wassim Chouak / Unsplash

Lanka IOC dispatches fuel for 82 sheds

June 28, 2022
Fuel. Image credits - Wassim Chouak / Unsplash

Lanka IOC restricts sale of Petrol: Limits announced

June 28, 2022
People play rugby at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. [Loren Elliott/ Reuters]

Australia census: Five ways the country is changing

June 28, 2022
  • About Us
  • Advertisements
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
Thursday, June 30, 2022
No Result
View All Result
NewsIn.Asia
  • Home
  • Around South Asia
    • All
    • Afghanistan
    • Bangladesh
    • Bhutan
    • China
    • India
    • Maldives
    • Myanmar
    • Nepal
    • Pakistan
    • Sri Lanka
    India’s top cement maker paying for Russian coal in Chinese yuan

    India’s top cement maker paying for Russian coal in Chinese yuan

    Central Bank of Sri Lanka

    Steps taken to prevent US Dollar from overshooting – The Central Bank of Sri Lanka

    Australia tour of Sri Lanka 2022

    WATCH: 1st Test – Day 1 | Australia tour of Sri Lanka 2022

    Kamal Haasan's Vikram is on a rampage.

    Kamal Haasan’s Vikram is the highest-grossing film in Singapore, UK and UAE

    PM Narendra Modi conveyed his personal condolences on the passing away of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan last month to President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. (Photo: Twitter/@MEAIndia)

    PM Modi meets UAE President Sheikh Mohamed in Abu Dhabi

    Mukesh Ambani

    Mukesh Ambani steps down as director of Reliance Jio

    Bus

    Bus fares increased from July in Sri Lanka

    Electricity

    Power cut schedule for June 29 in Sri Lanka

    Fuel. Image credits - Wassim Chouak / Unsplash

    Lanka IOC dispatches fuel for 82 sheds

  • World
    • All
    • Japan
    • Russia
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
    dollar

    Dollar falters as US yields retreat amid recession risks

    PM Narendra Modi conveyed his personal condolences on the passing away of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan last month to President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. (Photo: Twitter/@MEAIndia)

    PM Modi meets UAE President Sheikh Mohamed in Abu Dhabi

    Mukesh Ambani

    Mukesh Ambani steps down as director of Reliance Jio

    People play rugby at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. [Loren Elliott/ Reuters]

    Australia census: Five ways the country is changing

    Monkeypox case count rises to more than 3,400 globally: WHO

    Monkeypox case count rises to more than 3,400 globally: WHO

    Russia default

    Russia defaults on foreign debt for first time in a century

    President Joe Biden has told his officials to extend all help to Sri Lanka

    President Joe Biden has told his officials to extend all help to Sri Lanka

    Is Nepal’s geo-strategic location a bane or a boon?

    Is Nepal’s geo-strategic location a bane or a boon?

    Money

    Here’s how you can become rich by doing nothing

  • Business
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
    • All
    • Books
    • Gaming
    • Movie
    • Music
    • Series
    Kamal Haasan's Vikram is on a rampage.

    Kamal Haasan’s Vikram is the highest-grossing film in Singapore, UK and UAE

    Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

    ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ celebrates 25 magical years

    Salman Khan

    Plot to kill Bollywood actor Salman Khan revealed

    Shah Rukh Khan's Jawaan, to be directed by Atlee, to scheduled for June 2023 release. (Photo: Twitter)

    Shah Rukh Khan announces new film ‘Jawaan’

    Chchutir diner Gaan by Bangladeshi singer Nondita

    Chchutir diner Gaan by Bangladeshi singer Nondita

    Song “Bechain Nazar Betaab Jigar”. Talat Mahmood. Film “Yasmin” 1955

    Song “Bechain Nazar Betaab Jigar”. Talat Mahmood. Film “Yasmin” 1955

    ‘KGF Chapter 2’

    ‘KGF Chapter 2’ becomes 3rd-highest-grossing Hindi film

    Popular Bollywood stars Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt were married Thursday in a private ceremony at their Mumbai residence. Image credits - Sujit Jaswal via AFP / Getty Images

    Bollywood stars Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt marry in Mumbai

    Lata Mangeshkar: Ae Chand Pyara. Film Khazaana 1951. Music C.Ramchandra. Lyrics Rajinder Krishan

    Lata Mangeshkar: Ae Chand Pyara. Film Khazaana 1951. Music C.Ramchandra. Lyrics Rajinder Krishan

  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Health
    • Science
    • Travel
    This April 2022 handout photograph provided by RR Auction shows cockroaches which were fed moon dust from the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, which were pulled from an auction listing after NASA said the cockroaches and a small vial of moon dust are property of the federal government. (Photo: AP)

    Give us back our moon dust and cockroaches: Nasa

    Moon. Image credits - Ganapathy Kumar / Unsplash

    China finds signs of water in moon’s ‘Ocean of Storms’

    What we should know when we speak of food security?

    What we should know when we speak of food security?

    Beetroot is rich in nitrates and is loaded with health benefits. (Photo: Getty Images)

    Drinking beetroot juice daily could help people with heart condition

    Close-up view of a cancer cell. Credit: Alexey Kotelnikov / Alamy Stock Photo

    Massive breakthrough as cancer vanishes for all patients in drug trial

    India hands over 3.3 tons of medical supplies to Lanka’s ambulance service

    India hands over 3.3 tons of medical supplies to Lanka’s ambulance service

    Lankan Prez orders LKR 1.8 billion (US$ 5 million) to be spent on drugs import  

    Lankan Prez orders LKR 1.8 billion (US$ 5 million) to be spent on drugs import  

    In this 1971 Center For Disease Control handout photo, monkeypox-like lesions are shown on the arm and leg of a female child in Bondua, Liberia. CDC | Getty Images

    The Covid conspiracies being recycled for monkeypox

    Exercise. Image credits - Victor Freitas @victorfreitas / Unsplash

    Best exercise time differs for men and women, says US study

    High life in troubled Colombo  

    High life in troubled Colombo  

    Trending Tags

    • Golden Globes
    • Mr. Robot
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Climate Change
    • Flat Earth
  • Tech
    Bitcoin. Image credits - Onov3056

    Bitcoin slides below $20,000 to lowest level in 18 months

    Digital banking platform Revolut launches in Sri Lanka

    Digital banking platform Revolut launches in Sri Lanka

    Microsoft's Internet Explorer was first included with a Windows 95 upgrade pack. Image credits - Ina Fried/CNET

    End of an era: Microsoft retires Internet Explorer

    Cryptocurrency boom. Image credits - Executium @executium / Unsplash

    Cryptocurrency market value slumps under $1 trillion

    iPhone. Image credits - Tron Le @tronle_sg / Unsplash

    EU deal to force iPhones to use USB-C charger by 2024

    Whatsapp. Image credits - AARN GIRI / Unsplash

    WhatsApp to get edit button, undo messages and other features soon 

    Trending Tags

    • Sillicon Valley
    • Climate Change
    • Election Results
    • Flat Earth
    • Golden Globes
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Mr. Robot
  • Coronavirus
  • Videos
  • Home
  • Around South Asia
    • All
    • Afghanistan
    • Bangladesh
    • Bhutan
    • China
    • India
    • Maldives
    • Myanmar
    • Nepal
    • Pakistan
    • Sri Lanka
    India’s top cement maker paying for Russian coal in Chinese yuan

    India’s top cement maker paying for Russian coal in Chinese yuan

    Central Bank of Sri Lanka

    Steps taken to prevent US Dollar from overshooting – The Central Bank of Sri Lanka

    Australia tour of Sri Lanka 2022

    WATCH: 1st Test – Day 1 | Australia tour of Sri Lanka 2022

    Kamal Haasan's Vikram is on a rampage.

    Kamal Haasan’s Vikram is the highest-grossing film in Singapore, UK and UAE

    PM Narendra Modi conveyed his personal condolences on the passing away of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan last month to President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. (Photo: Twitter/@MEAIndia)

    PM Modi meets UAE President Sheikh Mohamed in Abu Dhabi

    Mukesh Ambani

    Mukesh Ambani steps down as director of Reliance Jio

    Bus

    Bus fares increased from July in Sri Lanka

    Electricity

    Power cut schedule for June 29 in Sri Lanka

    Fuel. Image credits - Wassim Chouak / Unsplash

    Lanka IOC dispatches fuel for 82 sheds

  • World
    • All
    • Japan
    • Russia
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
    dollar

    Dollar falters as US yields retreat amid recession risks

    PM Narendra Modi conveyed his personal condolences on the passing away of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan last month to President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. (Photo: Twitter/@MEAIndia)

    PM Modi meets UAE President Sheikh Mohamed in Abu Dhabi

    Mukesh Ambani

    Mukesh Ambani steps down as director of Reliance Jio

    People play rugby at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. [Loren Elliott/ Reuters]

    Australia census: Five ways the country is changing

    Monkeypox case count rises to more than 3,400 globally: WHO

    Monkeypox case count rises to more than 3,400 globally: WHO

    Russia default

    Russia defaults on foreign debt for first time in a century

    President Joe Biden has told his officials to extend all help to Sri Lanka

    President Joe Biden has told his officials to extend all help to Sri Lanka

    Is Nepal’s geo-strategic location a bane or a boon?

    Is Nepal’s geo-strategic location a bane or a boon?

    Money

    Here’s how you can become rich by doing nothing

  • Business
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
    • All
    • Books
    • Gaming
    • Movie
    • Music
    • Series
    Kamal Haasan's Vikram is on a rampage.

    Kamal Haasan’s Vikram is the highest-grossing film in Singapore, UK and UAE

    Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

    ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ celebrates 25 magical years

    Salman Khan

    Plot to kill Bollywood actor Salman Khan revealed

    Shah Rukh Khan's Jawaan, to be directed by Atlee, to scheduled for June 2023 release. (Photo: Twitter)

    Shah Rukh Khan announces new film ‘Jawaan’

    Chchutir diner Gaan by Bangladeshi singer Nondita

    Chchutir diner Gaan by Bangladeshi singer Nondita

    Song “Bechain Nazar Betaab Jigar”. Talat Mahmood. Film “Yasmin” 1955

    Song “Bechain Nazar Betaab Jigar”. Talat Mahmood. Film “Yasmin” 1955

    ‘KGF Chapter 2’

    ‘KGF Chapter 2’ becomes 3rd-highest-grossing Hindi film

    Popular Bollywood stars Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt were married Thursday in a private ceremony at their Mumbai residence. Image credits - Sujit Jaswal via AFP / Getty Images

    Bollywood stars Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt marry in Mumbai

    Lata Mangeshkar: Ae Chand Pyara. Film Khazaana 1951. Music C.Ramchandra. Lyrics Rajinder Krishan

    Lata Mangeshkar: Ae Chand Pyara. Film Khazaana 1951. Music C.Ramchandra. Lyrics Rajinder Krishan

  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Health
    • Science
    • Travel
    This April 2022 handout photograph provided by RR Auction shows cockroaches which were fed moon dust from the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, which were pulled from an auction listing after NASA said the cockroaches and a small vial of moon dust are property of the federal government. (Photo: AP)

    Give us back our moon dust and cockroaches: Nasa

    Moon. Image credits - Ganapathy Kumar / Unsplash

    China finds signs of water in moon’s ‘Ocean of Storms’

    What we should know when we speak of food security?

    What we should know when we speak of food security?

    Beetroot is rich in nitrates and is loaded with health benefits. (Photo: Getty Images)

    Drinking beetroot juice daily could help people with heart condition

    Close-up view of a cancer cell. Credit: Alexey Kotelnikov / Alamy Stock Photo

    Massive breakthrough as cancer vanishes for all patients in drug trial

    India hands over 3.3 tons of medical supplies to Lanka’s ambulance service

    India hands over 3.3 tons of medical supplies to Lanka’s ambulance service

    Lankan Prez orders LKR 1.8 billion (US$ 5 million) to be spent on drugs import  

    Lankan Prez orders LKR 1.8 billion (US$ 5 million) to be spent on drugs import  

    In this 1971 Center For Disease Control handout photo, monkeypox-like lesions are shown on the arm and leg of a female child in Bondua, Liberia. CDC | Getty Images

    The Covid conspiracies being recycled for monkeypox

    Exercise. Image credits - Victor Freitas @victorfreitas / Unsplash

    Best exercise time differs for men and women, says US study

    High life in troubled Colombo  

    High life in troubled Colombo  

    Trending Tags

    • Golden Globes
    • Mr. Robot
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Climate Change
    • Flat Earth
  • Tech
    Bitcoin. Image credits - Onov3056

    Bitcoin slides below $20,000 to lowest level in 18 months

    Digital banking platform Revolut launches in Sri Lanka

    Digital banking platform Revolut launches in Sri Lanka

    Microsoft's Internet Explorer was first included with a Windows 95 upgrade pack. Image credits - Ina Fried/CNET

    End of an era: Microsoft retires Internet Explorer

    Cryptocurrency boom. Image credits - Executium @executium / Unsplash

    Cryptocurrency market value slumps under $1 trillion

    iPhone. Image credits - Tron Le @tronle_sg / Unsplash

    EU deal to force iPhones to use USB-C charger by 2024

    Whatsapp. Image credits - AARN GIRI / Unsplash

    WhatsApp to get edit button, undo messages and other features soon 

    Trending Tags

    • Sillicon Valley
    • Climate Change
    • Election Results
    • Flat Earth
    • Golden Globes
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Mr. Robot
  • Coronavirus
  • Videos
NewsIn.Asia
No Result
View All Result
Home Around The World

Will the world fail to prepare for the next pandemic?

Editor by Editor
January 26, 2021
in Around The World, World
Reading Time: 5 mins read
3 0
A A
Fortunately for people here, Singapore was among the minority of countries that acted quickly.ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

Fortunately for people here, Singapore was among the minority of countries that acted quickly.ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

Share on WhatsApp

Singapore, January (TheStraitsTimes) – The pandemic is still raging, but have governments and institutions addressed it well, so far?

The progress report from the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response set up by the World Health Organisation is a no holds barred, yet objective assessment of performance to date.

Although the full report will only be out in May, this interim report does point out failings and suggests practical areas for improvement at both national and global levels.

ADVERTISEMENT

Hopefully, when a SarsCoV-3 emerges – as experts say one day it will – the world would be better prepared to tackle it.

Hopefully it will not, again, be a case of deja vu, where once the pandemic is overcome, all the lessons so painfully learnt are forgotten.

Deja vu

After Sars in 2003, a universal conclusion was that the world needs to be better prepared for the next global outbreak.

Among the first points the current report makes is: “The world was not prepared, and must do better.”

The WHO report that followed Sars said: “The first and most compelling lesson concerns the need to report, promptly and openly, cases of any disease with the potential for international spread.”

The Covid report says: “Public health measures could have been applied more forcefully by local and national health authorities in China in January.”

It also says: “It is clear that the volume of infections in the early period of the epidemic in all countries was higher than reported.”

The WHO also was slow to call it a pandemic, doing so only on March 11. This might have slowed down responses in some countries, said the report.

The Sars report said: “Weaknesses in health systems can permit emerging infections to amplify and spread, and can compromise patient care. The strengthening of health systems thus deserves high priority.”

The Covid report says: “The evidence of deficiencies in pandemic preparedness and response calls for far-reaching change for the future.”

Sounds all too familiar.

The Covid independent panel headed jointly by former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark and former Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is all too aware of this.

Their report says: “Previous pandemic crises have prompted numerous evaluations, panels and commissions which have issued many recommendations for strengthening preparedness and response.

“Too many of those were not acted on.”

The question many people are asking today is, if the measures recommended after the Sars outbreak in 2003 had been put in place, would 100 million people have been infected and more than 2 million killed by Covid-19?

The report notes: “Public health containment measures should have been implemented immediately in any country with a likely case. They were not…. only a minority of countries took full advantage of the information available to them to respond to the evidence of an emerging epidemic.”

In Singapore

Fortunately for people here, Singapore was among the minority of countries that acted quickly.

Experts here had been monitoring news of a possible outbreak in China since early December 2019, with many in healthcare who were convinced the virus would come to Singapore, making quiet preparations.

A multi ministerial task force was set up in January even before the first case here was diagnosed.

While that might have appeared excessively cautious, given both the lack of international concern and no cases here at that time, it has since proven to be the correct move, prescient even.

After the painful brush with Sars when 33 people out of the 238 infected died, including several healthcare workers, Singapore built the National Centre for Infectious Diseases.

Its timely opening just months before Covid-19 arrived on our shores has enabled it to be the backbone in Singapore’s fight against the pandemic.

While Singapore had been prepared for a Sars-like outbreak, Covid-19 still took the country somewhat by surprise – as evidenced by the high number of infections in foreign worker dormitories.

One lesson Singapore has learnt from previous outbreaks – and which the WHO report also points out – is the need for all sectors of society and government to work in tandem.

The report said coping with a pandemic “transcends the health sector and requires whole-of-government and whole-of-society responses. Initial evidence suggests that high-level coordination has been a key determinant of response success.”

In Singapore, thanks to the early formation of the multi-ministry task force, the network was in place to cope with both the expected, and any unanticipated surprises.

Healthcare teams were sent to foreign worker dormitories and older workers who are at higher risk, were quickly moved out.

So, in spite of the high number of foreign workers infected, the death toll for the country was low, with 29 deaths.

The future

How the world copes with the next pandemic will depend on whether, this time, the lesson has been painful enough to elicit the proper response – both nationally and globally.

All the reports and recommendations in the world will not be worth the paper they are printed on, if resolutions made at the height of the outbreak go out the door with the virus.

But even before that, some immediate actions should also be implemented.

The report stressed that early case detection, contact tracing and isolation, physical distancing, limits on travel and gathering, hand hygiene, and mask wearing should continue even as populations around the world get vaccinated.

It said: “The failure to apply such measures is continuing to result in an unacceptable toll of death, illness, and transmission.”

Today, the number of infections and deaths continues to rise. The report offers pointers on how this can be reduced. It is now up to the world leaders to implement them.

These include taking care of people in poorer countries, and ensuring that they too get the vaccines every country is scrambling for. As has often been said, until everyone is safe, no one is safe.

How fast the world returns to normal will depend on whether the sound advice given in the report is taken seriously and action follows.

Tags: pandemicWorld

Related Posts

dollar
Around The World

Dollar falters as US yields retreat amid recession risks

June 29, 2022
PM Narendra Modi conveyed his personal condolences on the passing away of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan last month to President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. (Photo: Twitter/@MEAIndia)
Around South Asia

PM Modi meets UAE President Sheikh Mohamed in Abu Dhabi

June 29, 2022
Mukesh Ambani
Around South Asia

Mukesh Ambani steps down as director of Reliance Jio

June 29, 2022
People play rugby at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. [Loren Elliott/ Reuters]
Around The World

Australia census: Five ways the country is changing

June 28, 2022
Monkeypox case count rises to more than 3,400 globally: WHO
Around The World

Monkeypox case count rises to more than 3,400 globally: WHO

June 28, 2022
Russia default
Around The World

Russia defaults on foreign debt for first time in a century

June 28, 2022
  • Electricity

    Power cut schedule for June 29 in Sri Lanka

    43840 shares
    Share 17552 Tweet 10954
  • Foreign Exchange Rates from Central Bank of Sri Lanka; USD, GBP, EUR, SGD, CAD

    1180 shares
    Share 479 Tweet 292
  • WATCH : Yohani’s first live performance in India

    784 shares
    Share 326 Tweet 191
  • Power interruption schedule released: Check your area power cut time

    736 shares
    Share 314 Tweet 176
  • Leader of Bohra community meets President

    668 shares
    Share 271 Tweet 165
  • About Us
  • Advertisements
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

© 2022 All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Around South Asia
    • Afghanistan
    • Bangladesh
    • Bhutan
    • China
    • India
    • Maldives
    • Myanmar
    • Nepal
    • Pakistan
    • Sri Lanka
  • Around The World
  • Breaking News
  • Business
    • Exchange
  • Climate Change
  • Governance
    • Crime
    • Diplomacy
    • Defense
    • Human Rights
    • Politics
    • Strategic Affairs
  • Lifestyle
    • Books
    • Entertainment
      • Arts
      • Cinema
      • Gaming
      • Music
      • Movie
      • Series
      • TV
    • Health
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Travel
  • Culture
    • Ethnicity
    • Gender
  • Development news
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Coronavirus
  • History
  • National
  • Offbeat
    • Media
    • Music and arts across South Asia
  • Recommended
    • Headlines
    • Highlights
    • Top Picture
    • Top Story
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Cricket
      • LPL
      • IPL
    • Tennis
    • Formula 1
    • NBA
  • Tech
    • Instagram
  • United Nations
  • Weather
  • World
    • Japan
    • Russia
    • United States
  • Videos

© 2022 All rights reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

mersin eskort -

Meritroyalbet

-
Jojobet
- Süperbetin - eskisehir escort -

https://www.vudols.com/

- Sağlık Personeli - istanbul avukat