A tentative “accountability” timeline for Covid-19

  Just a start, obviously. Lots more to be said, nuances to be added, errors to be corrected, etc.

1.      Global health neoliberalism doesn’t consider it too much of a problem if WHO isn’t sufficiently resourced. PPPs should get most of the money anyhow, as they ‘get things done’, presumably. Global health’s “who’s who” are quite happy with the few billionaires (and one in particular) who help the global health agenda (or at least part of it).

2.      The rich & wealthy (including MNCs & financial sector) are undertaxed, globally, for decades already, which is part of the reason why Global Public Goods aren’t sufficiently resourced. And health systems; ànd social protection systems; ànd PPE for health staff,  …    

3.      The Theory of Change of “Power in global health” counts on “Davos schmoozing” aka “networking” to get some things done (and funded). Obviously, they just get the peanuts, even on global health security & pandemic preparedness (which should interest the ‘powers that be’ in principle the most). 

4.      Meanwhile others engage in fairytale ‘from billions to trillions’ thinking, ‘leveraging’ private capital to get to some really “innovative” global health funding. That turns out a sick joke, with the pandemic bonds saga as just one sorry example.

5.      The Chinese regime botches the first month of the Covid-19 outbreak due to the “particularities” of an authoritarian regime. At that time, perhaps the world still had a chance to avoid the worst.

6.      WHO ignores a Taiwan warning (for too long), for political reasons.

7.      Western countries are complacent, and only start getting really worried once Italy gets hit big time, not (nearly enough) when they witnessed the horror in Wuhan. Perhaps a combination of counting on a SARS-containment effect + the ‘far away’ effect?  (East Asian countries do better for the same reasons); meanwhile, too many experts still compare the Covid-19 fatality rate with annual flu fatality rates – so that also public opinion gets worried rather late.

8.      Right wing populism & free-market ideology play an additional ‘postponing’ role in some Western countries.

9.      In country after country, the neoliberal emperor really has no clothes anymore.  Again.

10.   Turns out that global health security, indeed, starts at home. Who would have thought?

11.   The most narcissistic specimen among our Western “leaders” start the scapegoating big time. They started way earlier in the process, of course, but now they're gearing up.

To be continued, i guess...