Pandemics are highly inequitable. They impose a disproportionate burden on those at the lower end of the income distribution. In the case of COVID-19, control efforts through social distancing and population lockdowns have brought additional deprivations on vulnerable populations. In low- and middle- income countries (LMIC) and elsewhere, the slowdown in economic activity has […]
Tag: COVID-19
Battling COVID-19 in a war zone: a field doctor’s point of view from Yemen
Yemen has been embroiled in a brutal civil war since 2015. In June 2021, President Joe Biden announced his administration would donate 500 million doses of COVID vaccines to low-income countries. Prime Minister Boris Johnson followed shortly afterwards with an announcement of the British donating 100 million excess vaccines. These measures were celebrated around […]
Challenges in accessing care for Palestinian cancer patients in Gaza during the COVID-19 crisis
While media headlines this year captured the destruction in Gaza following the Israel-Gaza hostilities and the humanitarian impact of war, less is known about the daily battles faced by cancer patients in Gaza. This blog intends to specifically describe the persisting challenges in accessing care, that mounted during the COVID-19 pandemic, which are seldom […]
Coming together to fill the gaps in an inequitable crisis: A story from the second wave of COVID-19 in India
When will things get back to normal? A question we have asked since COVID-19 hit us in 2020. Who imagined it would last for more than a year, and return in waves as deadly as the second wave in India, which was nothing less than a nightmare. Practically every family was suffering, grieving, pleading; […]
COVID-19 vaccination in India: we need equity
Just a few days after starting its own COVID-19 vaccination program , India provided vaccines as grant- in-aid to other countries1 . This was in sharp contrast to some high-income countries which stockpile vaccines, and block proposals to suspend intellectual property rights in World Trade Organisation2. India now is in the midst of a […]
Call for Papers — COVID-19 and high impact respiratory pathogens: epidemic and pandemic preparedness in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region
BMJ Global Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO), are pleased to announce a call for papers on COVID-19 and high impact respiratory pathogens: epidemic and pandemic preparedness in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. The special issue will be guest edited by Prof. Ziad […]
Men and COVID-19: where’s the policy?
The COVID-19 pandemic has refocused attention on many health inequalities, not least those related to gender. Globally, men and women are thought to be infected with COVID-19 in roughly equal numbers. But, overall, men are 40% more likely than women to die from COVID-19 and almost three times more likely to require admission to an […]
Global health diplomacy failures in the COVID-19 era: surviving denialism and corruption in sub-Saharan Africa
Africa is currently bordering close to four million Coronavirus cases, with over 100 000 deaths, the rate of recovery is close to 90%. Northern and Southern Africa remain the hardest hit with the COVID-19 pandemic, 1.5 million cases are recorded in South Africa. There have been a range of health responses, from strong responses […]
Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on the private health sector in Africa
The for-profit private sector is an important provider of health services in most countries, and the sub-Saharan African region is no exception. A recent study puts the percentage of health services sourced from private providers in the World Health Organization’s AFRO region at some 40%. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the private health sector in […]
How can we overcome pandemic fatigue in 2021?
COVID-19 has shocked the world and requires constant vigilance; but until the roll-out of safe and effective vaccines (of high-uptake), we should not easily revert to life prior to the pandemic. Public support for mitigation measures have been remarkable; still, as expected, signs of pandemic fatigue are reported throughout the world. Published and unpublished […]