Developing Country Solidarity Needed to Overcome Pandemic

By Jomo Kwame Sundaram and Anis ChowdhuryKUALA LUMPUR and SYDNEY, Jul 6 2021 (IPS) As rich countries have delayed contagion containment, including mass vaccination, in developing countries, much weaker fiscal efforts in the South have worsened the growing world pandemic apartheid. Lessons from first wave Despite limited fiscal resources and modest external support, government efforts also need to address unsustainability, inequality and other problems due to extant economic, social and environmental arrangements. Jomo Kwame Sundaram Early relief and recovery measures assumed that the pandemic would be short-lived and reversible. Hence, such measures were rarely sustained, let alone expanded in developing countries despite the growing need for them. Appropriate social protection measures are needed for the longer term beyond those deemed temporarily necessary. The adverse effects of livelihood disruptions should be mitigated with income maintenance for employees and the self-employed whose livelihoods have been severely jeopardised. Governments must try to maintain family incomes, enabling them to spend to survive, thus keeping the economy ticking and businesses afloat. With effective contagion containment, such programmes enable earlier resumption of economic activities, i.e., recovery. Sustaining businesses, nurturing economies A few, mainly developed countries have tried to minimise business destruction, worker layoffs and welfare losses. Developing country governments mus...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Development & Aid Economy & Trade Featured Global Headlines Health Humanitarian Emergencies Inequity Sustainability TerraViva United Nations Jomo Kwame Sundaram & Anis Chowdhury Source Type: news