Reflections on the Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic in Asia and some Lessons from the Asian Governance Model

The COVID-19 pandemic is currently creating huge challenges for countries and communities around the world. Apart from being a global health crisis, the virus has severely impacted the economies of countries and constrained supply chains. Since its outbreak in December 2019, the world we live in has undergone unprecedented changes. While vaccination programmes are currently under way, it will be some time before the world returns to pre-COVID conditions. This article will reflect on the past year and look at how lessons learnt can help build resilience against future crises. It begins by examining the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 in Asia, highlighting some of the economic disruptions in the region as well as the effects of concurrent disasters. It then examines some key lessons that can be learned by Africa – the implementation of effective lockdowns, treating the health crisis as a humanitarian emergency, and the need for regional cooperation to ensure the stability of supply chains. Finally, the article translates key lessons into policy and governance principles that can be adopted moving forward.