WASHINGTON — A statement released today by science and medical academies of the G-7 nations and seven additional academies emphasizes the urgency of international cooperation in responding to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
In the statement, the academies call for real-time sharing of detailed scientific information about the virus and disease, as well as rapid, accurate, and transparent international communication about the disease’s unfolding epidemiology, including patterns of transmission, incubation period, and lethality. The statement also urges the coordination of regulatory and manufacturing processes and quality standards needed to accelerate the availability of reliable personal protective equipment, diagnostic testing devices, and medical treatment capacity. In addition, the academies stressed the urgency of understanding and preparing for the economic and social impacts of the disease and on impending humanitarian needs.
“Humanity has been repeatedly endangered by infectious diseases and, each time, has overcome the crisis,” the statement says. “We will continue to face serious infectious disease threats in the future, from pandemic influenza to drug-resistant infections….The current tragedy of COVID-19 should galvanize us to dramatically strengthen our efforts to prevent and control infectious diseases, so that human societies have improved states of readiness and increased resilience to infectious disease calamities.”
Each year, in advance of the G-7 summit, the academies of sciences of the G-7 countries and other nations collaborate on statements to inform discussions that will take place among policymakers.
Contact:
Sara Frueh
Senior Media Relations Officer
Office of News and Public Information
U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
202-334-2138
sfrueh@nas.edu
