With over 85 million cases worldwide, the rapid spread of the COVID-19 within the U.S. and to more than 191 countries and regions has demonstrated that a disease threat anywhere is a disease threat everywhere. In today’s interconnected world, it only takes 36 hours for a pathogen to spread around the globe – a threat that is an even more real when 70% of the world remains underprepared to prevent, detect, and respond to a public health emergency.

As the world mobilizes to stop the COVID-19 pandemic, the State Department and USAID have announced $1.6 billion in commitments for emergency global health and humanitarian funding and Congress has appropriated a total of $2.37 billion in emergency funding for the global response.

In this series of issue briefs below, the USGLC takes an in-depth look at the global pandemic response and COVID-19’s impacts on vulnerable populations, global development and diplomacy, and the future of U.S. global leadership.

“No matter how successful we are in fighting the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic at home, we will never stop it unless we are also fighting it around the world.”

Admiral James Stavridis (Ret.) and General Tony Zinni (Ret.) – March 21, 2020

“While addressing the urgent health and economic crisis facing our nation, the bipartisan response for the State Department and USAID was a good down payment. But it’s time to get real because there is no way to defeat COVID-19 or any future pandemic at home unless we are also fighting it around the world.”

Liz Schrayer, President and CEO, USGLC – March 26, 2020