The COVID-19 pandemic has created a crisis that is radically transforming our world. Millions have contracted the virus and hundreds of thousands have died. Mass unemployment and economic uncertainty are triggering a downturn that experts suggest might be worse than the Great Depression. Yet in precisely the moment when we are confronted with massive global challenges, governments are retreating from international institutions and doubling down on nationalist competition.

The evidence backed approach to address these problems is multilateral investment and cooperation around the world, particularly between major powers like the US, China, Europe, and Japan. These powers need to coordinate a global response that addresses the most pressing health and environmental needs, while laying the framework for more resilient and sustainable infrastructure to prevent future crises. If they do not, COVID-19 will continue to haunt our politics and make recovery impossible, endangering countless lives around the globe.

Concretely, countries should coordinate to ensure the resilience of medical supply chains for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other life saving technology, to ensure that research and testing of a vaccine and treatments to COVID-19 are accessible and free to everyone regardless of nationality, to invest in long term health infrastructure particularly in the Global South, to fund a jobs program for contact tracing and economic recovery, and cancel debt that is burdening low income countries and preventing public health solutions.

Together with a coalition of public health and foriegn policy organizations, Justice Is Global is circulating a sign-on letter to members of Congress asking lawmakers to work cooperatively with other countries to end the pandemic. Currently Judy Chu (D-CA), Jim McGovern (D-CA), and Brad Sherman (D-CA) are sponsoring and we're shooting for 150 sign-ons. Write a letter to your representative to tell them to sign on today!