“The measures enjoined were far from Draconian and one had the feeling that many concessions had been made in a desire not to alarm the public” (The Plague, Albert Camus, 1947) Why is it that Sweden, which was first to introduce mandatory use of seatbelts in cars, seems to be the last country […]
Category: Global health security
Saving lives by European solidarity and cooperation in response to COVID-19
COVID-19 is spreading rapidly across Europe. Many people are currently suffering from it and thousands in Europe are dying. We know that these numbers will inevitably rise much further. The European Council recently stressed the importance of European solidarity and cooperation in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Most European countries have ensured that there […]
Flattening the curve of COVID-19 infodemic: experiences, not conjectures
COVID-19 was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January 2020. Ever since, the disease has spiralled across the world with more than 169 countries affected. We are essentially looking at a new challenge and at an unprecedented scale. The global health community has responded by putting in its best foot […]
Public Health Communication for COVID-19: Can professional health associations in India do more?
The glimmer of hope provided by the damping down of the COVID-19 epidemic curve in China is being compensated for by the rapid rise of the number of cases and deaths in Italy, Iran, and South Korea, with WHO’s risk assessment in China, the Regional Level and the Global Level remaining ‘Very High’. India, […]
COVID-19 in Ecuador: high alert, limited information
With only 17 officially announced cases, Ecuador recently declared COVID-19 a health emergency, but the announcement was not backed by precise scientific information to fully understand the reasons behind this decision or a contingency plan. Because it was the third country in the region to identify SARS-CoV-2, on February 29, the Ecuadorian government could […]
Is mental health a concern for COVID-19 ?
The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) which originated in Wuhan, China has been declared as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization (WHO). At the time of writing the article , there w approximately 71,811 confirmed cases, and 1,775 deaths globally due to this deadly virus (1). The current […]
Wuhan Coronavirus : Should we trust social media ?
The recent outbreak of novel coronavirus, known as 2019-nCoV, originated from China, has driven enormous public attention. So far, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are approximately 4593 confirmed cases of coronavirus globally and 106 deaths (1). The overall situation regarding the coronavirus spread is fluid. Considering its high level of infectivity and […]
What does data privacy and its commercialisation mean for global health?
In the world where digital health is becoming the norm – what does data privacy and commercialisation mean for global health ? writes Michael Johnson Imagine you are an activist working to fight corruption within your own government. For ten years you have been receiving regular HIV treatment, but your HIV status is known only […]
Beyond profit and convenience: towards humanitarian dedication and conceptual coherence in Global Health
The growing presence of China as a forceful proponent in Global Health is beginning to receive proper attention. There can be no doubt that the Belt and Road Initiative(BRI) of China has begun to define the range of realistic future scenarios for individual and concerted action. These scenarios should simultaneously account for both universalizing and […]
Weaponising the ‘Fog of War’: The challenge of fake news for humanitarian actors in conflict zones
“In war, truth is the first casualty.” – Aeschylus (Ancient Greek playwright & soldier) A recently released report on the Yemen conflict utilises a range of data sources to illustrate the Saudi coalition’s targeting of civilian, agricultural and fishing infrastructure, actions presumably intended to worsen the country’s existing humanitarian crisis. At the time of writing, […]