A Call to Support Africa’s Health and Science Workforce
Investing in African health-care and STEM workers would help the world fight the next pandemic.
Preparing reagents for Covid-19 testing in Nairobi.
Photographer: Brian Ongoro/AFP/Getty Images
As industrialized economies start to see Covid-19 cases decline, the threat the coronavirus poses to much of Africa will soon become front and center. This is certainly not the first time a disease or virus has drawn attention to the vulnerabilities of health systems in the global south. However, the truly worldwide nature of the Covid-19 pandemic offers an opportunity to directly compare response capacities across all countries, and makes a strong case for massive investments in critical segments of human capital across Africa.
As an underprepared world grapples with the crisis, one thing is clear: A global pandemic requires a global response. Scientists in Geneva and Atlanta must work seamlessly with health officials in Gaborone and Addis Ababa, and they all need highly skilled experts running their responses. For this to happen, investments in health and STEM training must transcend borders. Investing in human capital in African countries would increase local capacity to respond to crises and add to the worldwide talent pool, which would benefit all nations.