Science at the service of humanity: the challenge with the novel Coronavirus, by the President of IUPAB
At this moment, when the world is looking to science to provide solutions to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the speed with which the public authorities invest in research and innovation will be decisive for facing this crisis. The governments of different countries must cooperate strategically in a coordinated manner to provide the best way to deal with the virus. The State must promote and encourage scientific development, research, scientific and technological training, and innovation.
Only with sufficient resources and support for this new scientific challenge will we be able to provide an answer based on knowledge; the enemy is still unknown. Health, science and technology are interconnected, particularly during this health crisis that all countries in the world are going through with the emergence of novel coronavirus diseases (COVID-19).
It is urgent that world scientists are mobilized to cope with actions to support therapeutic research, vaccines and diagnostics, innovation for the development of equipment, and to strengthen the training of researchers to advance basic research that allows better conditions for discovery and strategies that can overcome or control the virus. In this context, basic scientific knowledge has a relevant role.
For this reason, the IUPAB is in solidarity with biophysicists and all scientists throughout the world so that together we can provide the answers that everyone expects from science and scientists to defeat this previously unknown enemy and minimize human suffering.
“If you do not know the enemy you will lose all battles” (Sun Tzu.General Chinese. Author of the book The Art of War).
We need more cooperative science between countries and international educational initiatives to contribute to the training of the new generation of scientists. The world needs them and is counting on them for the challenges of humanity.
I am sure that together we will overcome this challenge through science.
Marcelo Marcos Morales
IUPAB President