Assessing COVID-19 through the lens of health systems' preparedness: time for a change

Globalization and Health
Charbel El BcheraouiJohanna Hanefeld

Abstract

The last months have left no-one in doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic is exerting enormous pressure on health systems around the world, bringing to light the sub-optimal resilience of even those classified as high-performing. This makes us re-think the extent to which we are using the appropriate metrics in evaluating health systems which, in the case of this pandemic, might have masked how unprepared some countries were. It also makes us reflect on the strength of our solidarity as a global community, as we observe that global health protection remains, as this pandemic shows, focused on protecting high income countries from public health threats originating in low and middle income countries. To change this course, and in times like this, all nations should come together under one umbrella to respond to the pandemic by sharing intellectual, human, and material resources. In order to work towards stronger and better prepared health systems, improved and resilience-relevant metrics are needed. Further, a new model of development assistance for health, one that is focused on stronger and more resilient health systems, should be the world's top priority.

References

Mar 13, 2012·Health Policy and Planning·Tamara Hafner, Jeremy Shiffman
Aug 16, 2017·International Journal of Health Policy and Management·Karl BlanchetFrancisco Pozo-Martin
Oct 14, 2017·European Journal of Public Health·David StucklerMartin McKee
Dec 27, 2017·The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal·Honoré MimcheUNKNOWN UND group
Oct 18, 2018·Globalization and Health·Charbel El BcheraouiAli H Mokdad
Dec 6, 2018·Health Policy and Planning·Johanna HanefeldDina Balabanova
May 18, 2019·Social Science & Medicine·Charlotte Pailliard TurenneValéry Ridde
Jan 7, 2020·International Journal of Health Policy and Management·My FridellDell D Saulnier
Mar 11, 2020·Lancet·Helena Legido-QuigleyDavid Heymann
Mar 21, 2020·The New England Journal of Medicine·David J Hunter
Mar 22, 2020·The Lancet. Public Health·Helena Legido-QuigleyMartin McKee
Mar 28, 2020·BMJ : British Medical Journal·Zulfiqar A BhuttaRamanan Laxminarayan
Apr 17, 2020·BMJ : British Medical Journal·Elisabeth Mahase
Apr 27, 2020·The Lancet. Public Health·Fekri DureabAlbrecht Jahn
Jun 6, 2020·The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene·Ronald E BlantonRichard A Oberhelman
Aug 19, 2020·Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases : the Official Journal of National Stroke Association·M Reza AzarpazhoohMario Di Napoli
Apr 26, 2020·MedRxiv : the Preprint Server for Health Sciences· IHME COVID-19 health service utilization forecasting team, Christopher JL Murray

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Mar 26, 2021·Primary Health Care Research & Development·Babar Tasneem Shaikh
May 19, 2021·Nature Medicine·Victoria HaldaneHelena Legido-Quigley
May 16, 2021·Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine·Vanessa J BurrowesLydia Campbell
Jul 3, 2021·Diagnostics·Karla Jaimes MerazzoEva Baldrich
Jul 25, 2021·Journal of Affective Disorders·Georgia ZaraLorys Castelli

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.