Giving Compass' Take:

• Kate Dodson, writing for the United Nations Foundation, discusses the need for global solidarity and coordination from public, private and philanthropic industries. 

• What advances can philanthropy make to emphasize a collaborative response to COVID-19? 

• Read more about the necessity of global cooperation during this time. 

We can’t stop the COVID-19 pandemic without a coordinated, global response.

Right now the World Health Organization (WHO) is on the frontlines of this fast-moving crisis — providing everything from personal protective equipment for health workers to the latest safety guidelines so governments and citizens alike have accurate, up-to-date information about the virus.

Yet this pandemic is unlike anything we’ve ever faced before — and will require commitment from all corners of the planet to tackle. Pandemics like this one show us that a “whole of society” approach — one that does not divorce private action from public response, economic policy from public health policy — is essential.

The truth is: We need a commitment to global solidarity that is unprecedented in modern times. We are in this fight together.

That’s why we’ve launched the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund to support the WHO’s global response to this growing pandemic. We aim to unite individuals, companies, and philanthropies from around the world in the fight against this virus.

People and organizations all over the world can donate — and we need everyone to give.

This fund is the first of its kind — and it’s the only way for individuals, businesses, and philanthropies to get involved and fight this virus on a global scale.

The Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan outlines many areas in urgent need of funds:

  • Tracking and understanding the spread of the virus
  • Ensuring patients get the care they need, and frontline workers get essential supplies and information
  • Ensuring all countries can prepare, especially those with the weakest health systems
  • Accelerating efforts to develop vaccines, tests and treatments

Read the full article about global support for COVID-19 response by Kate Dodson at United Nations Foundation.