The Red Cross warns: the world is not prepared to face the next pandemic, a balance after three years

ROME – No earthquake, drought or hurricane has claimed more lives than the Covid-19 pandemic, claims the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). L’World Health Organization recorded more than 6.5 million victims worldwide. The International Monetary Fund estimated that the pandemic will cost the global economy $13.8 trillion by the end of 2024. There has not been a single community in the world that has not been affected by the virus, with a devastating impact.

IFRC reports. Two dossiers published by the IFRC, the World Disaster Report and theEveryone Counts Report, offer a series of food for thought and insights on the successes and failures of the past three years and formulate recommendations on how leaders can, in the future, mitigate the effects of this global tragedy. The pandemic should be a wake-up call for the global community to prepare for the next health crisis, which could be just around the corner – explains Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General of the IFRC. In this framework, the most important thing that institutions should do is build trust, eliminate inequalities and work closely with communities to create active networks in the territories that can be lifesaving in emergency situations.

Confidence. There International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in these three years it has reached over 1.1 billion people to protect them from the virus. And he observed that where people trusted the institutions, they accepted the rules and therefore also the restrictions. Similarly, it was only possible to vaccinate millions of people in record time when most of them understood that vaccines were safe and effective.

The inequalities. You can’t wait for the next health crisis to build trust – the dossiers underline. Institutions must learn to speak transparently and effectively, they must show closeness and support, especially in situations of greater vulnerability. Red Cross and Red Crescent teams have documented how the pandemic has increased inequalities and exacerbated existing ones. Poor hygienic-sanitary conditions, overcrowding, malnutrition, have created the foundations for the disease to spread faster in some places in the world. The message is therefore clear: work on social and economic injustices to be ready for the next crisis.

Territorial work. The IFRC has also highlighted how where there were intervention networks already active in the territories, the emergency response was easier, faster and therefore more effective. It is essential that communities can count on professionals capable of dealing with the outbreak of an epidemic in the same way as they know how to organize an evacuation plan in the event of a hurricane. The pandemic has also boosted the use of digital technology to deal with emergencies. Travel restrictions prevented reaching the most vulnerable people, who thus also risked being left out of any form of support. Digital has partially prevented this from happening. For example the volunteers of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent who previously would have visited vulnerable people in their homes, have been phoning or texting during the pandemic. In this way the damage related to Covid has been mitigated.

The limits of digital. However, the use of digital cannot replace in-person assistance, especially in some areas such as mental health. IFRC staff have been providing psychological services by telephone and video chat during the pandemic, but with reduced effectiveness. One major disadvantage of digital assistance is that it excludes those without internet access or those who are uncomfortable with online services.

Digital disparities. The Global Migration Lab found that migrants were often subject to digital exclusion. In Egypt, for example, the procedures for issuing and renewing residence permits were online, but not everyone was able to access them. Although the government did not impose fines for expired residence permits and extended the renewal period, people who did not have internet were unable to pay their bills or get assistance. Others have found themselves uncomfortable using the network: digital psychological safety – writes the IFRC – is an important factor and is linked to digital literacy and trust.