pandemic response

US ends federal mask mandate; COVID protection is personal responsibility

US Politics In 60 Seconds

US ends federal mask mandate; COVID protection is personal responsibility

What are the implications of the end of the federal mask mandate? Jon Lieber, head of Eurasia Group's coverage of political and policy developments in Washington, shares his perspective.

Mark Suzman’s big lesson learned from COVID

Mark Suzman’s big lesson learned from COVID

When now-CEO Mark Suzman joined the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2007, global health efforts were focused on the transition to fighting diseases like HIV, malaria, or TB under initiatives such as The Global Fund or PEPFAR.Fifteen years later, the main lesson he's learned from COVID is is that "we have and did in the end respond albeit late," Suzman said during a livestream discussion on equitable vaccine distribution hosted by GZERO Media in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.What we've seen in the response, he explained, is "to some degree back in the glass half-full, half-empty response" with delays and setbacks caused by nationalism and inequitable vaccine distribution that caused many needless deaths. "

Why pandemic was "perfect storm" for violence against women: Dr. Okito Wedi

Why pandemic was "perfect storm" for violence against women: Dr. Okito Wedi

Gender-based violence tends to jump in any emergency situation, and the pandemic was no different. During COVID-related lockdowns around the world, Creative Development CEO Dr. Okito Vanessa Wedi says the home was no safe space for women. "Preexisting toxic social norms, together with actually being in a pandemic, losses of jobs, anxiety about the future [and] the restriction of movement" all created a "perfect storm" that turned partners into abusers.

GDP should reflect cost of polluting planet, says Microsoft's John Frank

GDP should reflect cost of polluting planet, says Microsoft's John Frank

As the 76th UN General Assembly gets underway, dealing with the pandemic is still the top priority for world leaders. But for John Frank, vice president of UN Global Affairs at Microsoft, COVID is not the only major challenge the world faces today.

Niall Ferguson: Blame bureaucrats, not leaders, for mismanaging disasters

GZERO World Clips

Niall Ferguson: Blame bureaucrats, not leaders, for mismanaging disasters

When a government fails on disaster response, Stanford University historian Niall Ferguson says we often point the finger at the wrong person: the president — even if he's Donald Trump — instead of the mid-level bureaucrats who're actually responsible for most decisions. "When people are inclined to blame the person at the top, on closer inspection the point of failure is not there," Ferguson tells Ian Bremmer in the upcoming episode of GZERO World. Check local listings to watch on US public television.

How will we deal with the next pandemic?

How will we deal with the next pandemic?

While most of the world is still grappling with COVID, some countries — mostly wealthy ones with early access to vaccines — are thinking about preparing for the next pandemic. This sentiment ties into a wider debate about health security that was missing when the virus hit us all early last year. Indeed, we should aspire to ensure the health security of our population instead of waiting for it to get sick, Flagship Pioneering CEO Noubar Afeyan said on June 9, during a live discussion, Stronger Partnerships for a Healthier World: Mutually Assured Protection — the second in GZERO Media's two-part discussion, Beyond the Pandemic: A Radical New Approach to Health Security, presented in partnership with Flagship Pioneering.

Beyond the Pandemic: A Radical New Approach to Health Security

Watch our live event: global health beyond the pandemic

Could the biggest health crisis of our lifetimes actually lead to a healthier world? Watch the second part of our live event series about what public health will look like after the COVID-19 pandemic, presented in partnership with Flagship Pioneering, the bio-platform company that founded Moderna and dozens of other life sciences firms. Days before world leaders G7 meeting, we will bring political leaders and policy makers together with health experts and scientists to discuss lessons learned from and the latest innovations to preempt both COVID-19 variants and future infectious disease pandemics.

Register to join: two-day event on health beyond the pandemic

Register to join: two-day event on health beyond the pandemic

As the world works toward a post-pandemic state, join GZERO Media on June 8 and 9 for a two-part live event on health security, in partnership with Flagship Pioneering (which founded Moderna). Days before this year's G7 meeting, we will bring political leaders and policy makers together with health experts and scientists to discuss lessons learned from and the latest innovations to preempt both COVID-19 variants and future infectious disease pandemics. The virtual event will be hosted by Noubar Afeyan, founder & CEO of Flagship Pioneering, and Ian Bremmer, president and founder of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media.