The world needs science and science needs the world.

In its fifth series of briefing notes on the impact of COVID-19, the United Nations looks at the importance of funding for scientific research and technological innovation in this era of COVID 19. It chronicles some discoveries by scientists that warned about the links between ecosystem disturbances and the spread of zoonotic diseases. Yet, due to insufficient funding, national capacities have not been well developed for Research and Development to respond swiftly to many of these concerns. 

In the face of COVID-19 however, the story is different. The briefing note argues that "despite the projected financial downturn and its attending consequences such as budget cuts, those in the biomedical and other scientific research are now inundated with funds and pledges of funding."  The challenge therefore is not the lack of funding but the "the race against time". These R&D institutions require time to study the virus and to gain full understanding of it so as to find a treatment and develop a vaccine. The current trend of financing for R&D as a result of the pandemic is welcoming, but this should not be the way to go.

It notes that "the world needs science and science needs the world with or without crisis" and calls on the Government of Ghana to aim to sustain the support for Science and R&D, which we have seen within this period, even after we overcome this COVID-19 crisis.