By DonataMpochela

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-When at the end of last year, December 31, 2019 to be precise, Chinese authorities alerted the World Health Organization of  cases of a pneumonia like disease in the city of Wuhan, the world was getting ready for the pomp and fun fare of welcoming 2020.

Nobody in their wildest imaginations would have thought that within the first three months of 2020, the world and life as we know it would dramatically change, with pomp and fun fare being  replaced by death, tears, fear and isolation brought about by a virus that spreads so quickly like a wild fire on a windy day.

As I write, the word coronavirus or Covid-19 is dominating every discussion on the planet right now.

The World Health Organization has rightfully designated it as a pandemic. The virus has spread to over 180 countries, infected over 1 million people and killed over 60,000 people in a very short space of time.

The world has been turned upside down in a flash by this unknown enemy. With no vaccine to cure it, the virus has exerted unbearable pressure on global health systems with even the most developed countries failing to cope with the scale and impact of the outbreak.

The virus has disrupted life in its entirety. There is no facet of life that has been spared by the impact of the virus. Industries have come to a halt with no immediate resumption in sight for most.  

Global economies are depressed with whole sectors shut down, causing untold suffering to people as jobs have been lost in their millions, some never to be recovered.

Global sporting events and disciplines have been suspended, postponed or cancelled. Religious gatherings and events have been suspended, banned or cancelled altogether too.

Nothing is working, nothing is happening. Schools and borders are shut down. The world is at a standstill.

People are living in perpetual fear and depression. The loss of jobs for many is a good as being infected by the virus itself as they do not know where their next meal will come from.

Business owners do not know if their businesses will still exist when this is over.

Lockdowns of countries across the globe have wreaked havoc on livelihoods.

Human norms have been discarded and re-calibrated and beyond this pandemic some might never return.

Will we still shake hands for example? It is fair to say we have not witnessed anything of this nature in our lifetime. The question is can we witness something of this nature again in our lifetime?

I am afraid to say that there is every chance that we can witness something of this nature in our lifetime again, in a different form and with a different name.

This is what has led me to write this piece,that it is time for the world to reconsider its priorities.

This pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of even the most powerful nations on earth to natural occurrences.

While nations fight and jostle for supremacy in the economic and military fields, not enough attention has been paid to preparing the world for natural occurrences.

The pressure on global health systems right now is evidence of how ill prepared the world has been in this space.

Nations have spent billions of dollars fortifying their military defenses but there is no nuclear weapon, no warship, no aircraft carrier,no tanker, nogun, no rifle that can protect anyone from something like the coronavirus pandemic.

Most countries allocate more money to their national budgets to military defense than they do to health. The proliferation of arms has taken precedence as nations jostle to flex their military might.

This needs a serious relook and rethink. If anything, and given what this coronavirus pandemic has shown us thus far, more resources must be allocated to health matters.

Countries need to seriously invest in their health sectors by building, multifaceted and equipped health centers. This is particularly important in Africa where for the longest time our political elites have neglected investing in healthcare because when they fall sick, they go seek treatment abroad. This is a wake-up call to such leaders. Invest in your own country’s healthcare systems for you know not what tomorrow holds.

No country can afford to not invest in its health infrastructure after this pandemic because something worse than coronavirus can come and there will be nowhere to run to as it will be each nation to its own people and infrastructure.

Corruption in awarding government contracts and tenders must end so that real and genuine investments are done to prepare for tomorrow.

Inventions in the health sphere must be accelerated even quicker. A global shortage of ventilators, respirators masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) among other things has featured prominently during this pandemic.

The world was not ready and has been badly exposed. There is immediate need to rethink the focus and scale of inventions in the medical arena with an eye on what else can happen in the future.

While we can’t predict or foresee everything, we can do something now to mitigate the effects of global health disasters like the coronavirus as and when they occur. Increased funding into medical research becomes even more imperative.

The huge monies being channeled into activities that fairly speaking do not carry the same level of importance must be diverted to medical research.

Economic policies will also need a rethink after this pandemic. Every nation has to critically look at how they can cushion their people from the catastrophic effects like the ones being witnessed now because of the coronavirus pandemic.

When whole industries and sectors are shut down, God knows for how long, what are the safety nets available to the common person? What recovery measures can be adopted post pandemics of this nature and scale? Will and should tax policies in countries remain the same, given that in most countries they are either unfavorable or discriminate?  Will and should terms and conditions for lines of credit at whatever level remain the same? Has the world embraced the digital economy widely as it believed it had and is this the time to even accelerate this after the coronavirus pandemic and develop it even further?

Individually, there are also considerations to be made. If you are to lose your job today, how else are you going to make a living? If your business is to shut down today, what fallback plan do you have? Are you going to survive a 12-month lockdown without your current source of income?

We definitely have to give a hard and serious look at our spending and consumption habits, our investment decisions or lack thereof and our priorities among other personal decisions. Are we going to continue with care free living, eating and drinking anything and everything? Are we going to pay more attention to our health now like never before, simple things we take for granted like washing hands?

I believe that this coronavirus pandemic has already and will continue to change the world in dramatic ways and we will have to adjust to new norms and ways of living.

In the midst of it all, God having granted us the gift of life, may we use this opportunity to reconsider our priorities as individuals, as societies, as nations and indeed the world. Stay safe.

Wash your hands with water for at least 20 seconds with water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Practice social distancing. If you feel sick, stay at home and call health authorities in your area to assist you. Do not sneeze or cough into your hands, do that on your elbow or onto a tissue and dispose it off immediately.

Follow advise and instructions in your area and country religiously. Avoid spreading unverified and fake news and cause more despondency.

Share some hope, some inspiration, the world needs that right now.