Opinion: A global pathogen shield: the health security step to ‘never again’
In the name of strategic defense, the world’s nations have amassed enough nuclear weapons to destroy human civilization. We accept the massive financial investment involved. Yet no country has developed the capacity to protect itself against a novel, lethal infectious disease. It’s time to start.
Last week marked the start of a global pledging marathon that has so far raised more than $8 billion to end the Covid-19 pandemic. The hastily assembled coalition of governments, industry, and philanthropic organizations, backed by the G20, last month announced its aim to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of Covid-19 treatments, vaccines and diagnostic tests, making them accessible to everyone, worldwide.
