Daily Archives: January 5, 2021

COVID-19 is often linked to its impact on mobility and globalization. Stringent measures have been taken to contain the situation, which have constrained the movement of people and goods, nationally and internationally. The coronavirus pandemic has also accelerated previously existing geopolitical trends, especially regarding trade protectionism associated with, for example, medical equipment, pharmaceutical products and COVID-19 vaccine-related research. This, in turn, continues to feed a techno-nationalist zeitgeist as governments resort to export controls and sanctions in strategic sectors such as semiconductors and 5G networks and other so-called dual use technologies.

This environment has created an acute demand for new and innovative management tools and systems to support good corporate governance and risk management practices. Governments also need to apply new technologies and tools to better fight COVID-19 and facilitate trade.

The emerging solution to manage the challenges of both COVID-19 and techno-nationalism are coming from a burgeoning new field called TradeTech. The dynamics of the development in this field are captured in the new World Economic Forum report, Mapping TradeTech: Trade in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The trade of goods dropped dramatically in the second quarter of 2020.

Image: World Trade Organization

TradeTech leverages the internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, cloud-based platforms and other Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies to unlock new possibilities and enable transparency and traceability in digital trade and global value chains.

The importance of digital trade has also been outlined in a 2019 paper published by the McKinsey Global Institute titled Globalization in transition: The future of trade and value chains. Services trade is on a trajectory to outperform global goods trade. The authors of the report write: In 2017, gross trade in services totaled $5.1 trillion, a figure dwarfed by the $17.3 trillion global goods trade. But trade in services has grown more than 60% faster than goods trade over the past decade.

Although differences between political and economic systems are on a trajectory of decoupling, and value chains are fragmenting around different standards and values which will present challenges to TradeTech there will still be many opportunities to turn this field in a significant growth industry.

Three areas, in particular, offer great promise for the future of TradeTech.

1. Expanding upon existing supply chain technology

Visibility and data-sharing are critical for 21st century supply chain and logistics management. They allow companies to drive efficiencies, resilience and customer satisfaction. The complete end-to-end data, paired with powerful analytics, also enables compliance in export controls, denied parties, restricted entity and data privacy regulations. Advanced technology provides the components to realize innovative TradeTech solutions to bring global commerce to a new level of performance and compliance.

Initiatives such as IATAs ONE Record in aviation, or the TradeLens data-sharing environment for container ocean shipping originating from the collaboration between Maersk and IBM are two initiatives intending to ease data-sharing and raise visibility. The maritime sector is also working on digital standards through the Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA).

Global supply chains rightly and wrongly have been criticized for their vulnerability to shocks. While many argue that near-shoring is the solution, the reality proves that this is easier said than done. What is certain, however, is that a higher level of visibility is needed regarding the suppliers along the chain, their location, abilities and capacities, the progress of orders and levels of material stocks, as well as the location and condition of goods in transit.

Compliance risk can be mitigated through unique digital trade identities. In a digital world with limited travel, it is hard to know with whom we are dealing. Privately, a Google or Facebook identity can be used across multiple applications. But big businesses need to establish and maintain thousands of profiles, one for each application they wish to use. This comes at a heavy cost and not without risk. While we are lacking a neutral entity that issues standardized and recognized identities for businesses, more reliable product identity technologies have emerged. Start-ups like Evrythng and Santrust, for example, have developed immutable QR codes to ensure authenticity of products.

For some time, export software solutions have been helping companies and employees to increase efficiencies in document processing, execute export licensing and deal with denied parties lists. Compliance and performance traditionally go largely hand-in-hand and many older, well established software solutions will coalesce into new technology ecosystems.

The new constraints and risks such as trading restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and techno-nationalism create opportunities for start-ups and innovative companies. A buzzword in the FinTech industry is the term Reg-Tech. Major banks are investing in know your customer (KYC), regulatory, and onboarding technology to reduce risk and costs as part of the broader digital transformation agenda.

Blending Reg-Tech into the mix of TradeTech solutions minimizes the impact of regulatory scrutiny, while coping with the changes of procedures, laws and regulations. New export control-driven Reg-Tech involves work being done on microscopic tracking technology that can be placed inside the tiniest of sub-components and components, which then get subsumed within larger machines. These can be used to trace end use and end users of restricted technologies.

When sovereign interests and our own health is at risk, the stakes for private business are at the highest level. With the expanded use of TradeTech and Reg-Tech, the need for cyber security is also increasing, as the fight against cyber risk and cybercrime is fought with the most advanced and sophisticated cyber weapons.

3. Beneficial spillover from TradeTech to other sectors

Data analytics services cut across major parts of supply chain networks throughout the global economy. With their industry-agnostic solutions, data companies drive progress and innovation throughout the world. Specialized companies fill data gaps with their own or third-party sensors and analyze newly created data along with data that is stored in traditional systems like enterprise resource planning (ERP), transport management systems (TMS), and port community systems (PCS). These companies, such as Navis and FourKites are themselves innovators but they also create the foundations for others to innovate on, across all industries.

TradeTech allows for the better management of sites, partners and activities far away. Technologies like 3D-printing, robotics and the internet of things allow for a much more distributed way of manufacturing and operating. While holding the global economy together, they also distribute the grounds for innovation and growth. TradeTech at large is driving many new solutions, ranging from better measurement and reduction of carbon footprints, to enforcement of labour standards, to tools that help to realize the circular economy a model that fosters the reuse of products and materials to replace the take-make-waste approach.

The first global pandemic in more than 100 years, COVID-19 has spread throughout the world at an unprecedented speed. At the time of writing, 4.5 million cases have been confirmed and more than 300,000 people have died due to the virus.

As countries seek to recover, some of the more long-term economic, business, environmental, societal and technological challenges and opportunities are just beginning to become visible.

To help all stakeholders communities, governments, businesses and individuals understand the emerging risks and follow-on effects generated by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with Marsh and McLennan and Zurich Insurance Group, has launched its COVID-19 Risks Outlook: A Preliminary Mapping and its Implications - a companion for decision-makers, building on the Forums annual Global Risks Report.

Companies are invited to join the Forums work to help manage the identified emerging risks of COVID-19 across industries to shape a better future. Read the full COVID-19 Risks Outlook: A Preliminary Mapping and its Implications report here, and our impact story with further information.

A recent Gartner survey finds that 70% of supply chain leaders are planning to invest in the circular economy in the next 18 months. Already, 35% of companies believe that digital technology will be a key enabler for their circular economy strategies, but very few are leveraging existing technology for this purpose yet," says Sarah Watt, senior director analyst with the Gartner Supply Chain practice.

Sensors and satellite imagery combined with other technologies that provide additional data points can be used to trace carbon footprints, illicit discharge and water pollution, and enforce environmental standards for sustainably-caught seafood. Many of these same technologies can also be used to track controlled technologies, from an export controls perspective, throughout global value chains.

Techno-nationalism, accelerated by the COVID pandemic, has disrupted supply chains and global commerce. But the need to manage new risks brings additional pressure for innovation to the TradeTech field, which, in turn, has spawned new ecosystems of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies and businesses. These solutions provide transparency and traceability in supply chains, which facilitate commerce; as well as offering small and medium-sized enterprises the possibility to better connect to the global marketplace.

Core elements of TradeTech are expanding into new areas, creating new ecosystems and spilling over into other sectors, and have become important drivers on the journey towards a more just and sustainable economy.

Continued here:

How COVID-19 accelerated the shift towards TradeTech - World Economic Forum

Global efforts

The determinants and risk factors behind COVID-19 and countless other communicable and non-communicable diseases lie well beyond the purview of the health sector alone [24]. Possible synergies between COVID-19, non-health sector, and NTDs prevention and control programmes were explored in a previous piece, stressing the need for well-defined programmes that will set the stage for a multi-sectorial approach [23].

Many countries failed to respond effectively to COVID-19, a fact that calls for a transformation of their surveillance and public health response systems in a post-COVID-19 world. Thus, investments in such systems should top the list of priorities of the major development and economic recovery initiatives. However, health services and integrated disease surveillance-response systems will need to undergo profound changes in order to find more effective ways of coping with future emerging and re-emerging diseases, epidemics, and pandemics. NTD control programmes should actively participate in defining innovative integrated surveillance-response systems, as they cannot afford to be left behind yet again [25].

According to the World Bank, the immediate priority for policy-makers should be to address the health crisis and contain the short-term economic damage [26]. Preserving the financial sector will be key towards promoting recovery as a well-functioning financial system can help firms stay alive and ultimately retain jobs. Sustaining economic activity is expected to free up funds to support the health system.

The World Bank committed early in the COVID-19 crisis to providing important additional financial resources for the worlds poorest countries. In a press release dated April 2, 2020 [27], the World Bank stated that it would be prepared to deploy up to USD 160 billion over the next 15months to help countries respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and support economic recovery. A USD 12 billion fast-track package (in the form of low interest loans and grants) was announced to strengthen the COVID-19 response in LMICs and shorten the time to recovery [28] (Figs. 2, 3). Strengthening health systems is among this initiatives top priorities. As part of this funding, interventions ranging from laboratory rehabilitation to equipping health centres with WASH infrastructure can be supported. Another World Bank effort is the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Multi-Donor Fund (HEPRF). The objective of this umbrella funding scheme is to help countries develop strong public health capacity, including preparedness, disease surveillance, laboratory and diagnostic capacity, human resources, as well as emergency response operations [29]. The World Bank statement does not specify any amounts as it is waiting for pledges to be made by donor countries. Japan has already expressed its intention to become the founding donor of the new HEPRF [29].

World Bank Fast Track Package COVID-19 response per region. Thus far, USD 1.5 billion have been earmarked [27]

COVID-19 Global EU response per region. Current allocation of EUR 5.55 billion per region so far [31]

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) leads the UNs socio-economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic [30]. For its work, the agency relies on a network of over 3100 partners. A total of 52 countries are contributors to UNDPs core budget in 2019. UNDP is working with over 50 governments across the world on Integrated National Financing Frameworks (INFFs) to align the COVID-19 response with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, in March 2020, UNDP presented a 3- to 6-month response budget of USD 500 million covering three thematic areas: (i) health systems support (USD 150 million); (ii) inclusive and integrated crisis management and response (USD 250 million); and (iii) social and economic impact needs assessment and response (USD 100 million). Whether donors and partners will live up to these expectations remains to be seen.

The European Union (EU) is the largest international donor, providing about 57% of the total global development assistance, while accounting for only a fifth of the global economy. The EU reacted swiftly to assist LMICs in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic [27], allocating EUR 15.6 billion with an emphasis on Africa (EUR 3.25 billion) (Fig.3). Three priority areas have been identified: (i) emergency response; (ii) research, health, and water systems to combat the spread of coronavirus; and (iii) addressing the socio-economic consequences of the COVID-19 crisis, including, in the longer-term, support for a recovery phase [31].

Team Europe is another EU response to COVID-19 supporting the most vulnerable and fragile populations in LMICs and conflict zones [32]. It targets primarily the informal sector of society, with a focus on Africa. Together, the European Commission, the European External Action Service, EU Member States, and financial institutions are launching a EUR 20 billion package to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences. The package combines resources from existing programmes (EUR 11 billion) with support from financial institutions such as the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EUR 5 billion), and from EU Member States (EUR 4 billion).

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced a USD 20 billion package (in the form of loans, grants, and technical assistance) to address the needs of its LMIC members as they respond to COVID-19 [33]. Thus far, approximately USD 4.6 billion have been earmarked. Priorities include health and economic measures ranging from strengthening governments alert and response capacities to addressing the COVID-19 pandemics economic and financial impact, and supporting various government measures targeted at poor people and vulnerable groups affected by COVID-19 through the loss of jobs and out-of-pocket health care expenditures. Eleven countries have already benefitted: Indonesia, the Philippines, and India are targeted to receive USD 1.5 billion each in sovereign projects [33].

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), of which the Peoples Republic of China is the largest shareholder, created a USD 5 billion crisis recovery fund to support countries and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. With a recent capital injection, this programme can be tailored to respond to local needs [34].

Other initiatives are considerably smaller but nevertheless relevant. A case in point is the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). It will make available EUR 60 million for entrepreneurs under the EIT Crisis Response Initiative to support 44 countries (Israel, Turkey, and 42 EU and Non-EU European countries) [35] in the launch of new innovation projects to tackle COVID-19 related challenges. A total of EUR 9.85 million are earmarked for health.

The Center for Global Development recently published an analysis on how international development agencies are responding to the COVID-19 crisis [14]. Included in the analysis is a WHO appeal for an estimated USD 675 million for a COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan, which saw donors pledge and commitment of around USD 320 million to date. The WHO also tracks partner funding and has already identified EUR 7.4 billion earmarked for COVID-19 response funding from 79 donors [36].

Development agencies are molding their aid packages according to their Governments priorities. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is funding a EUR 1 billion emergency COVID-19 support programme targeting seven areas, with health and pandemic control heading the list (EUR 200 million) [37].

The speed and scale of the response required by the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how the fragmentation in current health systems significantly impaired our ability to respond effectively in times of crises. Fragmentation leads to duplication, inefficiencies, poorer outcomes, and an unsatisfactory experience of care. There is growing evidence that integration of services in the health system and across sectors increases the resilience of systems [38, 39]. Until recently, integration efforts have tended to focus on improving coordination between primary and secondary care, or on strengthening relationships between health and social services. It is now widely recognized that social determinants, such as housing, education, employment, and social connectedness have a greater impact on health and well-being than health and care services [40]. The focus is starting to shift towards integrating health and care with a much broader range of services, rooted in communities strengths, and needs. This is known as integrated community care (ICC). The importance of ICC is reflected in the WHOs vision for primary health care that is based on three pillars: (i) an integrated health service delivery system; (ii) active community participation; and (iii) actions addressing broader social determinants of health [41].

The evidence shows integration works best when aimed at people with severe, complex, and long-term needs [42, 43]. It offers a new opportunity for managing morbidity and long term disabilities in the community, through greater coordination between health, social and community care. This is something that has not yet gained wide attention from the NTD community, and yet it may be worth exploring through further research. Perhaps even mass drug administration (MDA) campaigns related to some NTDs would benefit from integration with other activities beyond drug delivery [44]. Disease control programmes are part of complex health systems [45] and as such creating parallel funding, planning cycles, and additional reporting and data information systems need to be avoided [46].

ICC as a way to strengthen health systems and achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) would arguably make countries more resilient to shocks such as COVID-19, but whether these initiatives garner sufficient support from the main stakeholders and decision makers remains to be seen. This is particularly relevant in resource-constrained settings, which also harbour the very same highly vulnerable population groups most affected by NTDs [47]. NTDs may impose a considerable economic and social burden on individuals, families, and households, often related to loss of productivity but also abandonment of agricultural land due to morbidity, disability, and stigma [48, 49]. In addition, there are the direct costs of diagnosis and treatment and, even if diagnostics, drugs, and vaccines are offered free of charge, direct nonmedical costs such as transportation and accommodation which can easily add up to 20% of annual household income, propelling a previously stable household into an untenable debt [48]. It is ultimately the decision of the governments of endemic countries to make UHC including NTDs a domestic policy priority. To be effective, NTD control needs to be part of the national health plans and budgets and, ideally, also feature in those of other sectors [50].

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Efforts to mitigate the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: potential entry points for neglected tropical diseases - Infectious Diseases of...

Football brought me from the streets of Washington, D.C. to Minnesota and Iowa in the late 1960s. I often say it saved my life to get away from a life of petty crimes and into a position where I could begin learning how I could make a difference in the world. I worked hard to graduate from Rochester Junior College in 1971 and from Drake University in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education.

Shortly after graduating, I organized my first presidential forum in 1976, and Mary Campos and I formed the Black and Brown Presidential Forum in 1984 to highlight issues of race and the challenges black and brown people face with the economy, educational opportunities, criminal justice and access to health care. The Black and Brown Forum is the oldest minority presidential forum in the country, and we were excited to host president-elect Joe Biden, vice president-elect Kamala Harris as well as a host of other candidates in 2020.

I also started a nonprofit called Urban Dreams in 1985 and ran for the Iowa Legislature in 1996. I served in the Iowa House until 2010. I was the 10th black legislator to serve in Iowa.

While serving in the Legislature, I met a small-town lawyer who served in the Iowa Senate named Tom Vilsack. From the outside, most people would think we had little in common. But, we both were serving in the Iowa Legislature, we were both Iowans by choice rather than by birth, and we both loved playing football. And, because Tom Vilsack grew up in the city of Pittsburgh, we both had a different perspective on race than most of our colleagues in the Iowa Legislature.

Our shared experiences and shared values started a lasting friendship that continues today. In 1998, I was an early supporter of his campaign for governor of Iowa and helped with his campaign.

Tom Vilsack won in a huge upset in 1998. As governor, we maintained a close relationship. We spoke at length about the problems of significantly higher incarceration rates for people of color than whites in the Iowa penal system. In 1999, he asked me to colead the Governors Task Force on Overrepresentation of Blacks in Prison.

That task force found that 24 percent of the states prison population in 1999 was African American although blacks comprised just over 2 percent of Iowas population. The numbers were stunning. One of the recommendations from the task force was that the state should modify sentencing policies as they pertain to drug offenses and mandatory sentencing. That recommendation resonated with me and was one of the tenets for the Iowa minority impact legislation I authored in 2008. Iowa was the first state in the nation to pass this historic legislation. Gov. Chet Culver signed that bill.

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When Tom and I served together, I witnessed him pass an executive order restoring a felons right to vote. He directed state governmental agencies to aggressively participate in Iowas Targeted Small Business Program and set an expectation for department leaders to achieve their goals for procurement activities and compliance. This expectation still exists today. He initiated a task force, including myself, to establish the Iowa Principles and Practices for Charitable Nonprofit Excellence that continues to serve as a blueprint for the successful governance of nonprofits today. We worked together to pass legislation that required children to be tested for exposure to lead paint before enrollment in school.

An example of his successes as U.S. agriculture secretary that pertains to urban communities is Vilsacks USDA Urban Agriculture Toolkit that he assembled to provide a comprehensive resource for producers to effectively manage their businesses. This was an innovative approach to providing assistance and growth in urban communities.

When Tom Vilsack was elected governor, I was the only black legislator. We worked closely for eight years and collaborated on numerous legislative initiatives to positively impact the lives of minorities and low-income communities. These policies continue to enhance the lives of marginalized individuals today. Based on my close working relationship with Vilsack, and my friendship with him, I know that he will once again be an excellent secretary of agriculture.

Wayne Ford is a former state legislator and the principal of Wayne Ford and Associates in Des Moines.

Wayne Ford

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Vilsack is a longtime ally to people of color - The Gazette