As communities around the world face an unprecedented global health crisis with the rapid spread of the coronavirus or COVID19 pandemic, our governments’ first priority should be promoting our health and safety.

But extraordinary outbreaks like this one also tend to expose cracks in our health systems, highlighting potential risks and opportunities for corruption – corruption that may undermine the response to the pandemic and deprive people of health care.

Even in ordinary times, corruption in the health sector causes losses of over US$500 billion every year.