Nation states, multilateralism and Covid-19
The coronavirus pandemic requires a strengthening of policies and greater international cooperation. But up until now, we have seen the opposite and this is likely to continue unless rigorous measures are put in place. Drug procurement strategy can be the first test, or testing ground, of a new strategy for international cooperation. The time for taking stock has not yet come, but analyses of the world after the pandemic are already making the rounds even if it seems presumptuous to guess what our new ‘New World’ will be like when the fight against the disease is far from over and its economic consequences have yet to be measured. On the other hand, the list of practical proposals is getting longer, including increasing salaries for certain jobs, using new technologies in the field of health and encouraging more ecologically responsible consumption patterns. These two approaches are clearly necessary, and will become vital as soon as the crisis comes to an end: what kind of world do we want from now on? What actions must be taken to bring it about ? Marisol Touraine, former French Health Minister, and Chair of the Executive Board of Unitaid, opens new perspectives for Terra Nova think tank.