The U4 brief explores the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on low income countries. The brief notes the failure of many government parastatals including health, governance, recruitment and management, to deal appropriately with the pandemic owing to widespread corruption and lack of transparency in governance. It further highlights the importance of practicing strict regulatory procedures for scientific drug research and development, noting that traditional anti-corruption policies are not enough to take care of the mess of pandemics in such countries.

The brief also mentioned the importance of involving civil society organizations to act as oversight in matters that involve monitoring health outcomes and tracking budget spending. The brief suggests a sectoral approach to fighting corruption and safeguarding the justice system to deter fraud in such developing economies.

Read the brief here.