Call for international cooperation and collaboration to effectively tackle the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The world is facing an unprecedented challenge in every place that is affected by the spreading COVID-19 pandemic. With China recording fewer and fewer cases, Europe and the Americas have become the epicenter of the pandemic since mid-March 2020, respectively accounting for 54.8% (621,407) and 27.8% (315,714) of 1,133,758 confirmed cases globally as of April 5. Moreover, the number of confirmed cases in the US (273,808), Spain (124,736), Italy (124,632), and Germany (91,714) has exceeded the number in China (82,930) so far. International cooperation and coordination are essential to tackling this pandemic in terms of both assistance with emergency medical supplies and medical technical assistance. Coordinated global action has been called for by the World Health Organization (WHO), G7, G20, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and other bodies. More effective actions are urgently needed to protect the most vulnerable, including older people and people with an underlying medical condition, as well as healthcare workers, who are most frequently exposed and who are vital to the response.

Keywords: COVID-19; international collaboration; international cooperation; public health emergency.

Figure 1.

Japan-China mutual support related to emergency medical supplies in tackling COVID-19 pandemic. (A) Emergency medical supplies donated to China by Japan from January 27- February 27 and donated to Japan by China from February 29-March 26, 2020 (data were summarized based on reports from multiple media); (B) Masks donated to Wuhan, China by the National Center for Global health and Medicine on February 6, 2020; (C) Masks donated to the National Center for Global health and Medicine by Wuhan, China on March 30, 2020.