Letter to the editor: Global strategy needed to stop pandemics

Diseases don’t respect borders. If the coronavirus outbreak has taught us anything, it’s that global health security is only as strong as its weakest link. That’s why we need a global strategy to defeat this pandemic.

There is no silver bullet to stopping preventable diseases like the coronavirus from spreading, but we know that investments in stronger health systems — from well-equipped hospitals to new vaccines, treatments and practices — are all vital tools. For every dollar invested in global health, there is an estimated 10-to 20-fold return in economic benefits.

Defeating the coronavirus and stopping the next pandemic requires our elected leaders, like Sen. Pat Toomey, to look beyond borders and focus not just on crisis response, but also crisis prevention. Now is the time for the United States and our international partners to come together as one world and make bold new commitments to strengthen global health security and stop preventable diseases from spreading.

It is in our power to build stronger global health systems and prevent future pandemics like the coronavirus, but only if we continue to invest in new and proven global health programs while ensuring they increasingly target the world’s most vulnerable.

Karla Doolittle

Bloomfield