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International efforts, such as the Paris Agreement, aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But experts say countries aren’t doing enough to limit dangerous global warming.
Health
Public Health Threats and Pandemics
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Virtual Roundtable: The Role of Trust in Pandemic PreparednessNumerous research studies point to the outsized role that trust has played in the COVID-19 pandemic. Public compliance with expert recommendations for social distancing, mask wearing, school closures, and vaccinations have been linked to the perceived trustworthiness of government, its agencies, and other citizens. In this Council on Foreign Relations roundtable, Dr. Margaret Levi and Dr. Michael Bang Petersen discuss the role of trust in current and future COVID-19 crisis response and what governments can do to build trust before the next health emergency emerges—as it inevitably will.
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Japan Has Weathered COVID-19 Better Than Many, but Problems PersistTwo years into the pandemic, Japan has proven more effective than the United States and European countries at managing outbreaks. Still, the Japanese public has criticized government efforts, and two prime ministers have stepped down.
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Where Has COVID-19 Contact Tracing Worked?As part of global efforts to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, health officials have tried a variety of contact-tracing strategies in countries around the world. Some have been success stories; others have been flops, as governments struggled to get buy-in from the public or shore up the resources needed for comprehensive tracing. Here are five countries’ experiences with contact tracing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Data's Role in Preventing the Next PandemicOver the past fifteen years, global health has been threatened by Ebola epidemics in West Africa, the emergence of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), the spread of Zika through the Americas,and the 2009 influenza pandemic. The tolls of each event have been exacerbated by inadequate data systems. Ongoing struggles to track the global spread of COVID-19 demonstrate the need to fix problems in existing surveillance for infectious diseases.
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Year Three: The Pandemic ContinuesAs we enter year three of the COVID-19 pandemic, three leading global health experts examine how the United States and the world have dealt with the evolving situation, the lessons learned, and the way forward.
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The World Still Hasn’t Agreed on a Pandemic PlaybookFor two years, the world has been battling COVID-19 with masks, vaccines, and lockdowns. There have been impressive results and serious missteps, but countries have failed to channel their shared experiences into a blueprint for action.
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The COVID-19 Pandemic and China's Global Health Leadership
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China's ambitions for global health leadership are faltering as the COVID-19 pandemic persists. The country's mixed record of addressing the virus offers opportunities for U.S. global health leadership, writes Yanzhong Huang. -
Seven Charts That Explain the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2021COVID-19 continued its worldwide spread in 2021, spurred by more contagious variants. Vaccines are highly effective, though have been unevenly distributed. Follow the pandemic’s story over the last year through graphics.
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Omicron Travel Bans Will Hinder U.S. Africa PolicyWestern rhetoric on partnering with African countries as equals appears hollow as Western nations slap travel bans on African countries with confirmed cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
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COVID-19 Vaccinations: Visualizing a Year of Global Progress and InequityIt’s been almost a year since the first COVID-19 vaccines were approved, and half of the world is at least partly vaccinated. Now, the emergence of the omicron variant is underscoring the risks of uneven distribution.
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Will the World Ever Solve the Mystery of COVID-19’s Origin?It is crucial to learn the facts about how COVID-19 emerged to prevent future outbreaks. But China is rebuffing calls for further investigations focusing on Wuhan.
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A Conversation With Rochelle WalenskyDr. Rochelle Walensky discusses CDC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, CDC’s role in coordinating global health initiatives, and the future of public health in the United States.
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The G20 Was Made for Moments Like ThisThe planet is on fire, the pandemic smolders on, and the global recovery is faltering. The G20 was created for just such challenges, and the Rome summit offers it a chance to rise to the occasion.
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The U.S. Fentanyl Crisis: What to KnowThe United States is being flooded with fentanyl-laced fake pills, exacerbating an opioid crisis already spiraling amid the pandemic.
