The new coronavirus spreads all over the world and is reaching to developing countries. Facing this catastrophic crisis, countries are now attempting to isolate themselves from others and to concentrate on countermeasures to protect their nationals. As United Nations Secretary-General António Gutierres said on March 31, it is obvious that the infection of COVID-19 in developing countries has just started growing, and that the damage in health and economy in the regions will be more devastating than what we are seeing right now. Indeed, the vulnerable suffer the most from the infection itself as well as repercussions of this outbreak no matter where they live. The spread of COVID-19 is a global challenge which would not end without serious countermeasures against infection in developing countries. Unless globe-scale cooperation is undertaken, the world would face risks of recurrent outbreaks anytime anywhere. Hereby I, Tatsufumi Yamagata, President of the Japan Society for International Development (JASID), urge the global community, civil society, business circles and Governments including that of Japan, to expedite and strengthen their cooperation to block further spread of COVID-19 in developing countries. JASID will also commit itself to the mitigation of misery of the virus-infected people around the world and the societies damaged from the infection through active research, practice and public outreach.

April 5, 2020 Tatsufumi YamagataPresident Japan Society for International Development