NEW YORK, April 4 (Xinhua) -- In response to a global threat like COVID-19, consolidated efforts of all nations are essential, a renowned U.S. expert on global health has said.
"This is the time to build bridges not walls between people from around the world," Wafaa El-Sadr, director of the Global Health Initiative and ICAP at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, told Xinhua in a recent interview by email.
The expert said that nations across the globe should tackle the pandemic with great solidarity rather than finger-pointing or be mired in conspiracy theories.
"This virus does not discriminate, we are all vulnerable. It is also important to seek trusted sources of information and to dismiss conspiracy theories which fuel mistrust," said El-Sadr.
Assessing the ongoing global efforts against COVID-19, the expert on epidemic prevention said that it is encouraging to see many countries "taking actions to control the spread of the virus."
"There is also a huge scientific mobilization which is very important," she said, adding that sharing of information and scientific data across borders "is critical in moving us to control this pandemic."
Yet, El-Sadr said there are still challenges that require further concerted efforts.
"We need to quickly provide training to public health workers, doctors, nurses and others in how to prevent, diagnose and treat those with COVID-19," she said.
"There are also challenges in terms of having sufficient supplies to protect health care workers, who are particularly vulnerable," the expert cautioned.
Meanwhile, it is equally important to pay particular attention to those countries with fragile health system as they are faced with this huge challenge, said El-Sadr, expressing her hope that the COVID-19 outbreak is a wake-up call for nations to "work on establishing strong health systems that are resilient."
A strong health system is fundamental to dealing with today's problems, while resilience means it is capable of responding to something new, she said.
El-Sadr also noted that China's experience in curbing the virus is "particularly important, from which important lessons have been learned."
As of Saturday evening, more than 1,197,000 cases were reported across the world with 64,606 deaths, while over 246,000 people have recovered, according to latest data from Johns Hopkins University.
