During the 2nd Virtual International Conference on “Corona Pandemic: Containment and Living with” Abu-Ghazaleh: Economy impacted by COVID-19 deserves same attention as health

AMMAN – International economic expert, HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, founder and chairman of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global (TAG.Global), reaffirmed that attention to the economic consequences of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) should not be less than that given to health. 

He made this statement during his participation in the 2nd Virtual International Conference entitled “Corona Pandemic: Containment and Living with”,  organized by the Iraqi Medical Association, through Zoom video conferencing, in cooperation with the Arab Organization for Quality Assurance in Education (AROQA), the Iraqi Parliamentary Health Committee, the Iraqi Committee for Health and National Safety and the World Health Organization (WTO), in addition to a number of local and foreign universities. 

During the conference, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh affirmed that the COVID-19 is not the most brutal epidemic in the history of humanity, although it is the most sustainable. He warned against an equally threatening disaster which is the ‘world’s most devastating economic crisis in human history’. “The US admitted that its gross domestic product (GDP) had fallen by a record of 33% which is considered the worst ever-decline in its history; the largest global recession in history” Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh said. 

Furthermore, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh stressed that countries should start developing the necessary measures to get out of both health and economic crises, calling on the Arab leaders to establish councils of economic experts and scholars in each country to propose suggestions and solutions for their governments to face the worsening economic crisis due to coronavirus pandemic. 

The way out, according to Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh, is digital transformation which is becoming indispensable in all fields and sectors He advised the development of rapid programs for digital transformation in government, economy and education. He also urged countries to work towards self-sufficiency in producing basic needs of food, medicines and learning, as well as developing policies that protect the state and its citizens.

Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh indicated that in a rapidly changing world, a country’s elements of strength are measured by the number and percentage of its digital population, noting that he has previously asked the United Nations to consider access to digital knowledge as one of the basic human rights, adding that every citizen should be granted an easy access to digital infrastructure including digital devices at competitive prices to eradicate digital illiteracy.