Politics of pandemic.
Byline: Syed Tahir Rashdi ShahdapurThe pandemic, as the World Health Organisation (who) officially declared it this week, is spreading fast, with almost 198,426 cases and nearly 7,987 deaths in 135 countries outside China. Few of today's political leaders have ever faced anything like a pandemic and its economic fallout-though some are evoking the financial crisis of 2007-09 (see next leader). As they belatedly realise that health systems will buckle and deaths mount, leaders are at last coming to terms with the fact that they will have to weather the storm. Three factors will determine how they cope: their attitude to uncertainty; the structure and competence of their health systems; and, above all, whether they are trusted.
The uncertainty has many sources. One is that sars-cov-2 and the disease it causes, covid-19, are not fully understood (see Briefing). Another is over the status of the pandemic. In each region or country it tends to proliferate rapidly undetected. By the time testing
detects cases in one place it will be spreading in many others, as it was in Italy, Iran and South Korea. By the time governments shut schools and ban crowds they may be too late.
China's solution, endorsed by the who, was to impose a brutal quarantine, bolstered by mass-testing and contact tracing. That came at a high human and economic cost.
The United States, despite its wealth and the excellence of its medical science, faces hurdles. Its private system is optimised for fee-paying treatments. America's 28m uninsured people, 11m illegal immigrants and an unknown number without sick pay all have reasons to avoid testing or isolation. Red tape and cuts have fatally delayed adequate testing (see United States section). Uncertainty will be a drag on the third factor-trust. Trust gives leaders licence to take difficult decisions about quarantines and social-distancing, including school closures. In Iran the government, which has long been unpopular, is widely suspected of covering up deaths and cases. That is one reason rebellious clerics could refuse to shut shrines, even though they spread infection (see Middle East and Africa section).
Nothing stokes rumour and fear more than the suspicion that politicians are hiding the truth. When they downplay the threat in a misguided attempt to avoid panic, they end up sowing confusion and costing lives. Yet leaders have struggled to come to terms with the pandemic and how to talk about it. President Donald Trump, in particular, has veered from unfounded optimism to attacking his foes. This week he announced a 30-day ban most travel from Europe that will do little to slow a disease which is already circulating in America. As people witness the death of friends and relatives, he will find that the pandemic cannot be palmed off as a conspiracy by foreigners.
In Pakistan Federal Government and respective provincial governments have announced a number of measures to contain the spread of Virus, about 453 cases has been emerged across country from which 245 in Sindh, 78 in Panjab, 2 in Islamabad, 81 in Balochistan and 24-24 in KPK and GB respectively. Pakistan took few early steps to stop Corona from further spreading, closing educational institutions, sports and all gatherings, sealing Western borders are major steps taken by the government of Pakistan.
In the West covid-19 is a challenge to the generation of politicians who have taken power since the financial crisis. Many of them decry globalisation and experts. They thrive on division and conflict. In some ways the pandemic will play to their agenda. Countries may follow America and turn inward and close their borders. In so far as shortages crimp the world economy, industries may pull back from globalisation-though they would gain more protection by diversifying their supply chains.
Yet the pandemic also puts doctors, scientists and policy experts once again at the heart of government. Pandemics are quintessentially global affairs. Countries need to work together on treatment protocols, therapeutics and, it is hoped, a vaccine. Worried voters may well have less of an appetite for the theatrical wrestling match of partisan politics. They need their governments to deal with the real problems they are facing-which is what politics should have been about all along.
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| Author: | Syed Tahir Rashdi Shahdapur |
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| Publication: | Pakistan Today (Lahore, Pakistan) |
| Date: | Mar 20, 2020 |
| Words: | 746 |
| Previous Article: | A step in the right direction. |
| Next Article: | Quarantine expo. |
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