When the news broke of a disease outbreak in Wuhan, China, in late December 2019, most people thought it was just another common flu. Many, including U.S. President Donald Trump, downplayed the threat and seriousness of the virus. Barely three months later, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared a global health crisis caused by the Covid-19 outbreak. It was no longer a Wuhan affair but a pandemic. Individual citizens, nations, and international bodies have been affected.
The virus struck with unparalleled savagery. Ten months down the line, according to World Health Organization, the pandemic's presence and effects are felt in 235 countries and territories, with 34.7 million confirmed cases and over 1 million deaths recorded globally as of October 4, 2020. In terms of confirmed cases, the United States tops the global list with over 7.3 million, followed closely by India with over 6.5 million. Brazil comes third with over 4.8 million, as Russia and Columbia close the top five with over 1.2 million and 841 thousand cases, respectively. Positions six to ten are represented as follows; Peru with over 821 thousand, Spain over 789 thousand, Argentina over 779 thousand, Mexico over 753 thousand, and South Africa with more than 677 thousand confirmed cases. Regionally, the Americas are leading with over 16.9 million; South-East Asia has over 7.3 million, Europe over 6.1 million, Eastern Mediterranean over 2.4 million, Africa over 1.1 million, and Western Pacific has over 625 thousand confirmed cases. The United States, Brazil, and India have the highest number of deaths at over 207 thousand, over 145 thousand, and over 101 thousand. South Africa has recorded the highest number of Covid-19 related deaths in Africa, with its death toll presently at over 16 thousand.
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By the time the number of infections began to rise aggressively, governments and healthcare systems in the affected countries were caught flat-footed. Health facilities were understaffed, and there was a biting shortage of medical equipment ranging from the test kits, personal protective equipment (PPEs) for the medical personnel, ventilators, and masks. The most developed countries, such as the United States and China, were in dire need of these much-needed supplies. Even more hard-hit were the developing nations. The World Health Organization (WHO) has been at the forefront in coordinating the fight against the deadly virus.
Drezner states that plagues and pandemics reconstruct international relations. As the situation worsened, his assertions began to manifest. Every state was fighting to get all the available supplies for its citizens. Countries began to put restrictions on the exportation of medical commodities. Nationally, the domestic suppliers were hoarding the already available stock to create a demand crisis and make a killing out of it. If things were to continue that way, the countries that cannot manufacture medical equipment and machinery would be left hopeless. The World Health Organization arose to play an international system to coordinate the fight against the disease. So far, the WHO is the only notable organization spearheading an international effort to addressing the situation. Amidst accusations of mismanaging the pandemic and colluding with China, followed by the United States' withdrawal of its funding to the organization, it has been tough.
As one writer once noted, " It is times of crisis that tend to test political theories harshly but also often exemplify and cement them ." The Theory of realism has taken over the fight against Covid-19. The Theory of realism dictates that all countries are striving to continually increase their own social, political, and economic power in the interest of self-preservation. In realism, moral uprightness is unachievable. Instead, deceit and violence are considered the most effective ways of advancing one's interests. These concepts have highly played out in the international approach to the management of the pandemic.
New York Times reported a case of PPEs destined to one country disappearing on transit, and accusations of some countries exporting substandard PPEs to other countries, so much consumed with the profit generation at the expense of the citizens' safety importing country. At the initial stages of the disease outbreak, some countries banned imports from other countries, not to curb the virus's spread but to take advantage of the situation to booth their domestic industries. Things took an unexpected turn, with the world economic powers trading barbs and accusations and counteraccusations, sanctions, and retaliations all in the name of the pandemic. While the superpower nations that were supposed to offer guidance to the world in the wake of such a threat to humanity are engaged in a cold war, thousands continue to die per day. Another aspect of pandemic management in which realism has dramatically played out is in the vaccine’s invention and development. In what appears more to be a show of might, the most developed countries with the best laboratories, scientists, and medical experts have each drifted in its way. Each country is rushing to be the first to have a vaccine, not for the good of the population, but for social self-preservation, to declare victory over its peers. It was reported that President Trump attempted to lure a German biopharmaceutical company to produce vaccines' only for the U.S. Most people will agree that if one country gets a vaccine well ahead of the rest at the current state of affairs, it will assert itself politically, socially, and economically in the global stage. While some will argue that diversifying the search for a vaccine is for the good of all, It would be better if all the efforts and resources were pooled together. If what we are being told is true, that most countries are closer to rolling out vaccination, should they have worked jointly, perhaps we would have achieved a vaccine by now. Information and ideas would have exchanged freely and geared up the entire process for the good of humanity.
The international coordination in taming the pandemic has not been easy, not even at the regional levels. Politics of realism have dominated. For instance, in the East Africa region, attempts to push for a concerted approach in containing the spread of the virus in the region ended in an ugly economic war between Kenya and Tanzania.
Although the WHO's international coordination has not fully succeeded, it has borne some fruit. Still, some aspect of liberalism has prevailed. The Theory of liberal internationalism states that although nations' interests are competing, the rivalry is not irreconcilable and leads to equilibrium. Liberalism operates on the principles of international cooperation as a means of advancing an individual nation's interests. As Chien states, natural disasters sometimes bring about attenuation of disputes as the warring parties are left with no other option but to work together to preserve their societies. The governments that were initially embroiled in political tensions have had to ease such tensions in the wake of Covid-19. A good example is that of the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait set aside their political differences with Iran and offered the latter humanitarian aid when the virus hard hit it.
In the same spirit of liberal politics, some developed countries took advantage of the situation to solidify relations with their developing partners and to cement their interests in those countries. Governments and philanthropists offered humanitarian aid to nations viewed as potential investment hubs in the hopes of gaining a leeway to advance their economic interests.
The World Health Organization has faced many hurdles in coordinating the international war against the unseen enemy, Covid-19. Notwithstanding, its efforts have borne some tangible fruits. Through its Covid-19 Solidarity Response funds drive and mobilization of donor and funding, the organization has partly succeeded in coordinating global detection, prevention, and responding to the pandemic. Additionally, the organization has partnered with institutions and countries of goodwill, encouraging, and coordinating collaboration in developing a vaccine. If only all countries had channeled their efforts and resources through the World Health Organization to boost the war, the world would have been ahead of the virus by now. However, the organization's recent announcements a vaccine could be out by early 2021 is quite encouraging. Even more encouraging is the organization's spirited campaign in coming up with a regulated price and distribution for the vaccine to ensure that the realist countries do not get an opportunity to exploit those unable to manufacture their vaccines.
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