The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for improved global preparedness, from strengthening healthcare systems to enhancing surveillance and ensuring equitable access to healthcare resources. The course of the pandemic economy has been influenced by ebbs and flows in virus caseloads, official and voluntary lockdowns, and social distancing measures. Reliable data is crucial to effectively track disease trends and inform research, policymaking, and action.
The coronavirus pandemic has also thrown into stark relief the fragility of food systems and the world of work. As breadwinners lose their jobs, or fall ill or die, millions of people’s food security and nutrition are put at risk. Border closures, trade restrictions and confinement measures have interrupted domestic and international food supply chains, placing vulnerable communities, including small-scale farmers and indigenous populations, at particular risk of losing their livelihoods.