Thanks for your thoughtful editorial about the lessons from the pandemic. (“When the history of the pandemic is written, what will be the biggest lesson?” by the Deseret News Editorial Board, Feb. 23, 2022.)
While it may indeed be 100 years before the next one, likely we are still threatened by new variants and future pandemics that may not wait. Fortunately the president is taking steps to support one of the most proven initiatives in global health by holding the replenishment conference for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria later this year.
The Global Fund is responsible for saving 44 million lives in its partnership with low and middle income countries over the last 20 years. The Global Fund also strengthens health care systems and has worked with these countries during the last two years to battle COVID-19. Congress agrees, with nearly 140 members calling on the president to make a bold pledge to the Global Fund. Now is a great time to encourage your members of Congress to make sure this becomes a reality, resulting in health care systems that can more successfully battle what comes next.
Willie Dickerson
Snohomish, WA