Corruption Perceptions Index 2020 - Executive Summary

UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 06:01 CET, 28 JANUARY 2020 COVID-19 AND CORRUPTION Corruption undermines an equitable response to COVID-19 and other crises, highlighting the importance of transparency and anti-corruption measures in emergency situations. While existing research 7 shows that corruption negatively affects people’s access to high quality health care, our analysis also indicates that even when accounting for economic development, higher levels of corruption are associated with lower universal health care coverage and higher rates of infant and maternal mortality and deaths from cancer, diabetes, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Corruption is one of the key barriers to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the COVID-19 pandemic is making those goals even more difficult to attain. The long-term effects of corruption on health care systems remind us that corruption often intensifies the effects of a crisis. Corruption is prevalent across the COVID-19 response, from bribery for COVID-19 tests, treatment and other health services, to public procurement of medical supplies and overall emergency preparedness. Our analysis shows that corruption diverts funds from much needed investment in health care, leaving communities without doctors, equipment, medicines and, in some cases, clinics and hospitals. In addition, a lack of transparency in public spending heightens the risk of corruption and ineffective crisis response. Budget transparency, particularly during an emergency response like COVID-19 when speed and efficiency matter, can be difficult to enforce during a crisis. Transparency is nevertheless key to ensure public resources are spent appropriately and reach their intended recipients. For this reason, robust and transparent procedures for budget allocations, public contracts, and audits must be in place before a crisis hits. Finally, our research shows that corruption continues to undermine democracy, 8 even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Countries with higher levels of corruption tend to be the worst perpetrators of democratic and rule-of-law breaches while managing the COVID-19 crisis. COVID-19 is not just a health and economic crisis. It’s a corruption crisis. And one that we’re currently failing to manage. Delia Ferreira Rubio Chair, Transparency International Photo: World Economic Forum/Benedikt von Loebell / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL 8