Intro: Welcome to another episode of Ask A Scientist. I’m Tanesha and I’m talking with Dr. Makeda Williams from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute about the impacts the COVID-19 pandemic had on global health. 

TN: Dr. Williams, what did the pandemic teach you? 

MW: The key takeaway for me is the importance of collaboration. We had to work together with our partners in our communities around the world to address this pandemic. 

TN: How is this collaborative approach beneficial? 

MW: COVID-19 showed us that we are all interconnected because it knew no boundaries. It’s not an us versus them, it’s a we. Learning from one region of the world can provide better health outcomes for another region. 

TN: How so? 

MW: Learning from the science helps us to come up with findings that can then create programs, policy and interventions that can improve health outcomes. 

Outro: For more on global health, visit nhlbi.nih.gov.