Science diplomacy is the practice of using science to promote and foster international collaborations and address global challenges.
From the Montreal Protocol that banned use of Ozone-depleting chemicals to the Paris climate agreement, science diplomacy has played a significant role to bring the international community together for humanity’s good. In some instances, it has preceded the traditional diplomacy, for instances the Sesame project in Jordan, which brings together Israel and Arab scientists and collaboration between those from Cuba and the US.
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, it comes in handy to build the necessary bridges between countries, scientific communities and industry, an effective way of sharing knowledge and generating and sustainably exchanging robust and quality reliable data.
The global challenge can only be addressed through multilateralism. Unfortunately, the world has been inching towards unilaterism with institutions like the World Health Organisation (WHO) being the punching bag of nationalist leaders.
A virus anywhere is a virus everywhere. That is why a bug that originated from Wuhan caused global lockdown within months. Countries need to read from the same script and all decisions science-driven and informed by evidence.
A situation where some leaders are purveyors of conspiracy theories and treat this deadly pathogen lightly doesn’t bode well for humanity. Evidence shows countries which implemented science-backed advice — like social distancing, wearing of face masks and handwashing and sanitisation — averted a humanitarian catastrophe.
Scientific terms such as DNA, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), flattening the curve and herd immunity have become common and scientists are receiving the air time and audience that they never had before.
For a disease without a known treatment, politicians are touting all sorts of remedies, most of whose efficacy and safety are not backed by empirical evidence. In some cases, the purported remedies are repurposed medicines for other equally serious ailments. This could cause hoarding of drugs and protectionism by countries where they are manufactured or by those with the biggest economic muscle.
As countries mull reopening their economies, uncoordinated easing of lockdowns and opening up international travel while at different levels of the infection curve is likely to cause more confusion and resurgence of the virus.
Some countries are considering giving their citizens a ‘corona virus- free passport’ to allow travel within their region or internationally. But without clear agreement on the acceptable testing methodologies, this may cause unnecessary diplomatic hitches. Different methods have different levels of sensitivity and accuracy; hence, comparison of results obtained by using different methods is like comparing apples to oranges.
Despite massive global resource mobilisation, a coordinated international approach to managing the virus and addressing its socioeconomic impact is still missing. While the WHO insists on drug and vaccine discovery being a concerted effort, and any positive outcome treated as a public good, there are already fears of richer and industrialised countries ring-fencing any findings and denying other countries access.
That would exacerbate the scientific, technological and economic inequality between the global north and south and create a potential disease divide, whereby the virus is tamed in one region but out of control in another.
And even with the speedy research, the beneficiries and cost of the drugs and vaccines can only be equitably addressed through a multilateral system, where member states have an equal say. There’s also a need to bring together funders, innovators, policymakers and scientists.
Intense collaboration to secure the infrastructure for information sharing, open sources for smart health apps, 3D printing of ventilators and sharing the genetic sequence of the virus to speed up vaccine discovery and other initiatives is also important.
Collaboration needs to start from the basic unit of regional and sub-regional level, with a common understanding and concerted effort. Countries will benefit by sharing resources — including by participating in ongoing global initiatives such as clinical trials. The irony is, everybody wants to be the first in line to receive the vaccine, but few are keen to take part in the trials.
Science has provided humanity with solutions to global health challenges before. But it was global collaboration that actually made science effective.
Jaro Arero (PhD) is a science, technology and innovation and policy expert.
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