The Choice of Nations: Leadership and the COVID-19 Lethal Invasion
The Coronavirus pandemic is a reminder to the general public in all nations that their vote for Prime Minister, President or Chancellor of their nation in the last election has literarily translated to the difference between life and death.
So will it be moving forward for humankind. The choice of nations, vis-a-vis the “captain of the ship of state” will be far more consequential than economic prosperity, social standing in the world and even military superiority.
The choice would mean the difference between survival and passing on. Furthermore, for survivors, the choice would mean a profound “new normal” following any improbable, unexpected, highly consequential event like the coronavirus pandemic.
As of today, Tuesday, May 12, 2020, 287,650 — and counting — of our fellow human beings are no longer with us. They were taken away prematurely by an invisible, novel, lethal pathogen. These deaths occurred:
(a). Without the sighting or the sound of a single man-made weapon.
(b). Without any siege or torment by an invading visible force on land, on the waters or beneath the waters.
(c). Without bombardment by any visible foe in the air and the skies.
No other event in our time, visible or invisible, combatant or non-combatant has unleashed such degree of mortality and morbidity on mankind with such speed.
COVID-19 has revealed the magnitude of the impact on a nation, of the knowledge and fundamental belief of the nation’s President, Prime Minister or Chancellor about “the price of life”, vis-a-vis economic well-being.
This invisible lethal foe, SARS-CoV-2, forced most of mankind to take mandatory shelters indoors with strict limitations about our movements when we venture outside.
We dare decide to “live our usual normal life” without face mask, maintaining six feet distance and frequent hand washing at our own peril.
Here are some seminal lessons we have learnt so far:
Leadership, Empathy and Science : The indispensable triplet for healing and survival.
On March 25, 2020, New Zealand’s Prime Minister imposed some of the toughest restrictions in the world on the citizens in response to the coronavirus pandemic. At that time, the country had confirmed only 102 cases and no deaths.
Within two weeks of the lockdown, in addition to other measures like social distancing, New Zealand flattened the curve of the coronavirus cases.
Shaun Hendy, professor at the Faculty of Science at Auckland University, says this strong working relationship with the science community has put New Zealand at an advantage compared with countries which “have had difficult relationships with their science community in recent times”.
Gut feeling, Ideology and Scientific Ignorance: A toxic, crippling and deadly triplet.
“Trump’s Suggestion That Disinfectants Could Be Used to Treat Coronavirus Prompts Aggressive Pushback”.
Reckitt Benckiser, the British company that makes Lysol and Dettol, warned customers on Friday (April 24, 2020), against using disinfectants as treatments. Credit…Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group, via Getty Images
The spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the United States of America has had significant impact on the nation’s health, economic and social condition. The USA now has the largest number of infected persons and the largest number of deaths in the world.
Given its economic prowess and solid foundation in many areas, the USA has all the tools to weather the COVID-19 storm and bounce back while still retaining its status as the world’s superpower.
However, just like any other nation in the world, COVID-19 presents an opportunity for the USA to address some fundamental flaws.
These include healthcare disparity among the ethnic groups and paucity of internal manufacturing of basic healthcare materials like masks, gowns, medications and respirators. The nation’s political leaders must also adopt consistent and trustworthy non-partisanship in times of national deadly crisis.
Africa’s Noxious Epidemic Quartet: Corruption, Poor Governance, Pathetic Healthcare Systems and Conflicts.
“Data compiled from WHO Regional Office For Africa and online media sources”.
Africa, the world’s second largest continent, population 1.3 billion has so far reported 66,319 cases of coronavirus infected individuals and 2,344 deaths. The continent, and especially Sub-Saharan Africa is totally ill-equipped to fight the battle against SARS-CoV-2 .
This is because of the region’s poor healthcare system, massive corruption, conflicts, and chronic widespread leadership failure.
It has been suggested that the diminished virulence of SARS-CoV-2 in Africa may be related to sunlight, warm temperature and humidity. Whatever the reason maybe, it is certainly a welcomed gift of Nature to the continent.
The hope is that mothernature will continue to nurse and protect Africa, man’s underperforming homeland until she puts her house in order.
But how long will the nursing and protection last?
Sooner or later, another hitherto unknown and improbable lethal “outlier” like SARS-CoV-2 will overrun Africa’s natural fortifications. That is why profound positive changes must occur in the leadership of these nations.
Adjustments To Unexpected and Unforeseen Events, Visible and Invisible.
Humankind has learnt, is learning, and will continue to learn several lessons from this COVID-19 horrific experience.
Apart from the challenges in the healthcare sector, leaders in all nations at national, state and local levels have to adjust their modus operandi.
Educators, business leaders, political leaders, researchers, religious leaders, military leaders are. hopefully, planning their adjustments to the current reality.
One of the difficult decision for leaders in the developed world to make, especially post-COVID-19 is what to do about the woeful healthcare system in the nations of Sub-Saharan Africa. Why is this so crucial?
The poor healthcare systems in the world’s poorest and youngest region, Sub-Saharan Africa pose an existential threat, not only to Africa but to the rest of the world. If a pandemic like COVID-19 originates in the region and is not contained by the gracious protection of Nature, the morbidity and mortality in Africa and beyond will be enormous.
A consortium of African leaders, World Health Organization, World Bank Group, International Monetary Fund, Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and the Pasteur Institute in Paris should address this issue .
The consortium should act sooner rather than later for the sake of humanity. However, first and foremost, it behooves the leaders of the nations of Sub-Saharan Africa to step up with new ideas about how to rescue their nations.
Some people may say I am being an alarmist. If you are one of those, please think again. Go to Africa, but please don’t stay in the cities with bore holes — for water — and generators for electricity.
Go to any of the hundreds of thousands of villages in Sub-Saharan Africa with no elecricity or clean water.
You will see the scope of the deficits and the unfathomable chasm between the lives of the opulent few, the so called leaders, and the misery of the many — the public at large.
The world must not be blindsided and caught flat footed again and face a repeat of COVID-19. Sub-Saharan Africa may be that future blind spot.
The nations and world organizations have a choice. To act soon or dawdle. Food for thought for world leaders.
Your thoughts?
