Pandemic accord
THE Covid-19 pandemic killed millions worldwide, shattering the myth that the advanced West was better prepared to deal with it as compared to poorer countries. The pandemic also exposed the…
Scientists wary of bird flu pandemic ‘unfolding in slow motion’
Scientists tracking the spread of bird flu are increasingly concerned that gaps in surveillance may keep them several steps behind a new pandemic, according to Reuters interviews with more than…
Post-pandemic, world facing gloomy stew of debt, trade wars and poor
Record levels of government debt, geopolitical tensions that threaten to split the global trading system, and the likely persistence of weak productivity gains may saddle the world with a slow-growth…
The plastic pandemic
If plastic use were a country, it would be the fifth largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, just after China, the US, India and Russia. Plastic has become…
Austerity and the threat of another pandemic
‘During the peak of the Omicron wave in January 2022, US congressional leaders across the political spectrum were frustrated by the need to transform the country’s pandemic response. “We can…
The forgotten deadly pandemic
Tuberculosis (TB) has been claiming human lives throughout history, starting with records of human deaths dating back to over 9,000 years ago. As its killing spree peaked in most of…
The silent pandemic
Although it is difficult to believe, in a country where around 50 percent of children are stunted or unable to reach the expected height for the age, obesity is also…
Preparing for pandemics
Delegations from the world’s 20 largest economies convened in the Special Region of Yogyakarta to discuss how we can better prevent, prepare for, and respond to future pandemics. I am…
Gaming industry feels squeeze after pandemic boom
In the height of the pandemic, video games offered people solace in isolation. But now that life is slowly returning to pre-crisis normal, and inflation is soaring, gaming companies are…
Tackling the pandemic of inequality in Asia and the Pacific
After two years of human devastation, the world is learning to live with Covid-19 while trying to balance the protection of public health and livelihoods. For countries in Asia and…
