News Flash Links, as part of the research project PEAH (Policies for Equitable Access to Health), aim to focus on the latest challenges by trade and governments rules to equitable access to health in resource-limited settings
Now that we just turned the corner on another challenging year, we wish to share here all 2021 PEAH published articles by committed top thinkers, stakeholders and academics worldwide aimed at sparking debate on how to settle the conflicting issues that still impair equitable access to health by discriminated population settings
2021: a Year in Review through PEAH Contributors’ Takes
As we just turned the corner on another challenging year, we wish to share here all 2021 PEAH published articles by committed top thinkers, stakeholders and academics worldwide aimed at sparking debate on how to settle the conflicting issues that still impair equitable access to health by discriminated population settings. PEAH deepest gratitude goes to all of them.
Moreover, as part of PEAH scope and aims, the column titled ‘Focus on: Uganda’s Health Issues‘ continued to serve as an observatory of challenging health issues in Uganda from a comprehensive view encompassing the policies, strategies and practices of all involved actors.
In the meantime, our weekly page PEAH News Flash has been serving as a one year-long point of reference for PEAH contents, while turning the spotlight on the latest challenges by trade and governments rules to the equitable access to health in resource-limited settings.
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*Daniele Dionisio is a member of the European Parliament Working Group on Innovation, Access to Medicines and Poverty-Related Diseases. Former director of the Infectious Disease Division at the Pistoia City Hospital (Italy), Dionisio is Head of the research project PEAH – Policies for Equitable Access to Health. He may be reached at:
News Flash Links, as part of the research project PEAH (Policies for Equitable Access to Health), aim to focus on the latest challenges by trade and governments rules to equitable access to health in resource-limited settings
The world is in a very dangerous place right now and things can (will?) get out of hand. In terms of the recommendations at the end of the piece, the UN Security Council (UNSC) simply is not working and reform of its membership now has to be considered a key option so that the voice of people most impacted by poverty, inequities and conflicts is heard loud and clear in particular engaging our Youth who have the most to lose but also the most to gain by taking steps 'to save the world from itself.'
As we look forward to 2022 (and beyond), the issues we face have become existential. One may well ask, as climate change turns into a climate emergency, whether our home on planet earth can be preserved from environmental destruction. In short, can we avert a point of no return?
‘Don’t Look Up’
In the final moments of the Netflix movie, Don’t Look Up, Leonardo DiCaprio, a formidable environmentalist in his own right, playing astronomy professor Dr. Randall Mindy, sensing that Armageddon is near, ruefully utters ‘’We really did have everything, didn’t we?” His words of disbelief could well sum up a future worldwide regret for the fate of our ‘blue’ planet unless we learn to change our trajectory from a path of self-destruction to ensuring life enhancement of all species and planet survival.
The film is ostensibly a parody of how politicians, media, and the public ignore the reality of the planetary threats facing us – in this case a huge asteroid hurtling toward earth capable of extinguishing all life. (The last one hit the earth about 65 million years ago, wiping out the dinosaurs).
But the message of Don’t Look Up, considered by some to be the most important movie of 2021, could be more revealing. Parallels with our responses to climate change (neglecting, rejecting) – including the coronavirus – are clearly at the heart of the storyline. Unquestionably, WE have metaphorically become the comet and, scientists tell us, our species has about ten years before reaching ‘a point of no return’ when the destruction of our biosphere (land, sea, air) becomes inevitable.
Resetting the world geopolitical clock
There are of course other crisis scenarios of significant global risks that may be coming to a head in 2022 and that we need to treat very seriously rather than with arrogance or indifference.
China, an example of ‘the emergence of a first-rank economic and military power that respects neither democracy nor the rule of law that underpins it,’ tops the list. Seeking to establish a new world order based on totalitarianism, it is becoming apparent that ‘Beijing intends not only to abide by its own rules but expects others to follow –them.’ Other potential flashpoints in 2022 include Russia’s troop build-up around Ukraine, Iran’s escalation of its nuclear programme, and North Korea’s disruptive cyberattacks and military threats.
Considered collectively, it is clear that the lead time to reset the world geopolitical Doomsday Clock (a metaphor created by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in 1947) is even shorter than that for climate change – 100 seconds to midnight – as ‘autocrats everywhere have been using their lockdowns to plot mischief,’ which may, by design or accident, also lead to global catastrophe.
Calling out ‘rogue leaders’ and pulling together for planet sustainability
To safeguard our civilisation, global decision-makers who care about the future of the planet alongside the public at large are now tasked to call out (rein in) ‘rogue leaders’ (or political aspirants) who have the power to destabilise, indeed destroy, c. 4.54 billion years of Planet Earth evolution. The stakes for not doing so are very high indeed.
Individuals (and groups) in question include those who :
place their own self-interests, ambition and power ahead of planet survival;
believe ‘image’ is more important than ‘character’;
engage deliberately in disinformation rather than Truth;
lack understanding, trust and compassion;
instigate division and chaos over inspiring unity;
deny the root causes of global instability (e.g., climate change, inequality);
maintain that ‘might is right’;
support a culture of ‘them and us’;
engage in physical and cultural assaults on individuals and democratic institutions;
flout the rule of law;
espouse totalitarian principles over democratic rights and freedoms.
Unquestionably, the United Nations has a key lead role to play here but may be constrained politically and strategically.
One of its main weaknesses lies in the composition of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) with its core remit to ensure global peace and security. The main problem is that the same five permanent members with veto power – China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States – appointed in 1946 at the end of WWII now represent only about two billion people out of c. 7.8 billion. Close to 1.3 billion in Africa and 1.4 billion in India alone are not permanently represented although some of the poorest and the most disadvantaged live in these regions and will be most affected by climate change.
The UNSC’s ‘win-lose’ conflict resolution approach informed (biased) by political ideologies and hegemony lead the Council to veto or simply neglect key global political issues including humanitarian disasters (e.g., Afghanistan, Myanmar, Covid-19 deaths, migration) and are morally indefensible in light of continuing and needless human suffering.
Covid-19 reminds us that the only way we and particularly Heads of State can achieve planet sustainability is ‘to pull together’ and ‘to stop behaving as if we live in a limitless world.’ It also challenges us to consider what kind of future we want and how to achieve it.
to rise above the political and social ideologies WE have created over millennia resulting in divisions and conflicts with millions of innocent lives sacrificed;
to shape core values to ensure the sustainability of the planet and all life;
to replace the outdated (‘Age of the Strongman’) amoral plans for global conquest (i.e., advancing national and personal self-interests at the expense of others) with ones that optimise planet sustainability and the health & wellbeing of all life.
History has clearly shown us over millennia that free societies tend to flourish while those that dictate or enslave fail or have short lifespans – socially, economically, politically.
Adopting a new worldview
A recurring theme of my previous Impakter articles is that our greatest challenge as a species is to adopt a new mindset / mental models that shift our thinking, policies, and strategies from human-centrism (it’s all about us) to eco-centrism: it’s about all species and the environment and the sustainability of the planet.
This pressing paradigm shift – defining a renewed moral purpose? – in our worldview is encapsulated in the concept called One Health (& Wellbeing-OHW) that recognises the critical interdependence of humans, animals, plants in a shared environment. The underlying point is that the planet will thrive without us but will surely perish if we continue to erode ‘the fabric of the ecosystems which sustain life on earth.’
The One Health approach ‘shifts from reactive sectoralised’ interventions ‘to multi-sector preventive actions at social, ecological, economic and biological levels of society.’ Applying OHW in societal settings involves identifying the root causes of complex issues (e.g., climate change) and finding ways to mitigate these especially in light of potential disastrous consequences.
There is no Plan B for climate change. We either get it right in the forthcoming decades or we disappear. Simple as that!
The same holds true for other global threats – nuclear war, deadly pandemics, food security and others if pushed to extremes. The United Nations remains our best hope for a sustainable future but changes would need to be made to ensure that all nations have an equal voice and are able to speak freely about their challenges unencumbered by political interference or economic manipulations.
Recommendations flowing from this commentary include the need to:
(1) restructure the composition of the UNSC to ensure that the veto power of future permanent members (some conditional) does not lead to political paralysis, that all regions are fairly and equitably represented in terms of numbers and needs, as determined by annual reviews of risks and SDG progress, and that members are held publicly accountable in terms of enabling global peace, security and sustainability.
(2) adopt the One Health & Wellbeing concept/approach and establish a UN One Health and Wellbeing Sustainability Council with a strong Youth voice (e.g., representatives from the Sustainable Development Sustainable Solutions Network-Youth) to review and operationalise global propositions for global sustainability (socio-economic, geopolitical, environmental – aligned with the OH concept and the SDGs (summarised below) :
(3) promote the OHW concept and the UN SDGs at academic, government, and at all societal levels across all global regions through a process of change and education – formal and non-formal – addressing challenges we face in particular how we can better relate to the planet and to each other.
Our choice in 2022: Accept societal transformation or face extinction
The world faces hard choices in the days ahead. After 13.5 billion years of evolution from the Big Bang to the present, in 2022 we are at a turning point. Our choice is stark: acceptance of the societal transformations required to sustain the planet or face possible extinction as a species.
Considered ‘a modern-day heir to Charles Darwin,’ after a lengthy career, evolutionary biologist, conservationist, world-leading naturalist and author of more than 30 books, Edward O. Wilson (1931-2021) ‘felt optimistic that humanity had ‘the potential to solve its crises.’ On the other hand, he cautioned in 2019 that ‘our species was dysfunctional’: we carry Paleolithic emotions, we still depend on medieval institutions and have acquired god-like power – ‘a very dangerous and unstable combination.’
Cover Photo: Last scene from Don’t Look Up as the comet plunges toward Earth (screenshot) – film streaming on Netflix.
PEAH is pleased to post a presentation here focusing on the activities carried out and the challenges faced by the Foundation for Disabilities Hope (FDH) as a Non-Governmental Organization dealing with issues of advocacy for the rights and equality of groups of people with disabilities, youth and children in Tanzania
Foundation for Disabilities Hope (FDH) is a Non-Governmental Organization dealing with issues of Advocacy for the rights and equality of groups of people with disabilities, youth and children. This institution was officially registered in 2019 and obtained National Registration under Act No. 00NGO/R/004. The main office of the foundation is located at the CCM regional office building Dodoma, Tanzania.
2. ACTIVITIES
We have the mandate to serve people with disabilities all over Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar, until now we have managed to execute the following activities:
a) Tourism Activity
This is huge activity as we had done on small scale earlier this year but we have planned to do it bigger next year May, 2022 and we welcome all other tourists from all over the world. We initiated a campaign call “TOUR WITH A PERSON WITH DISABILITY AND STAY SAFE BY GETTING VACCINATED”.
We have great support from the Government and other stakeholders and we also invite persons with and without disabilities from all over the world to come join us and enjoy the beautiful view of Tanzania.
b) Creating Partnership with ADRA Tanzania in Supporting People with Albinism with Hats and sun skin Lotions
This activity is set out to cover large number of people with albinism as we also plan to equip them with soft and hard skills which will help them in earning their income.
c) Media Tour
On 03rd December, 2021 the disabilities day as a Foundation for Disabilities we used this day to create awareness about the needs and challenges of persons with disabilities through various TV and radio stations.
d) Agriculture Activity
Since FDH is planning to reach as many marginalized people as possible, the organization launched a farm project which will help people with disabilities to have an alternative way of earning through agriculture, as for now we already have a land, maize and sunflower seeds to start with.
e) Wheelchair Provision to Beneficiaries
3. CHALLENGES
With all the achievements depicted above the organization faces some challenges in which some of these are organizational, some departmental and some are personal. The following are challenges in which organization is devoted to solve for smooth operations:
Shortage of fund
The organization faces shortage of fund and because of that all employees are working on volunteering basis. But we appreciate the efforts made from our partner as we keep on assisting those in needs.
News Flash Links, as part of the research project PEAH (Policies for Equitable Access to Health), aim to focus on the latest challenges by trade and governments rules to equitable access to health in resource-limited settings
News Flash Links, as part of the research project PEAH (Policies for Equitable Access to Health), aim to focus on the latest challenges by trade and governments rules to equitable access to health in resource-limited settings
…While western countries are discussing Covid vaccines booster options and are about to throw out about 50 million excess doses by the end of the year (according to Airfinity) the vast majority of countries in the world are far below the minimum coverage level even for vulnerable groups (elderly and people with comorbidity) and health professionals……While scientists are trying to understand the impact of SARS-Cov-2 Omicron variant, the pharmaceutical industry already announced that new versions of the vaccine to fully protect against Omicron will be available by March 2022. Do we really need a new vaccine for this new variant? We don’t know, but we know that the pharma industry is again surfing the wave and ready to make money, and the western governments will eventually pay, even before knowing what data says…
By Stella Egidi
Medical Referent Médecins Sans Frontières Italy
Covid-19, the Omicron Variant and the “Butterfly Effect”
The appearance of the Omicron variant has suddenly brought back to global attention the fact that the pandemic is far from being under control and that at every turn of the corner a new unforeseen event might hamper every earlier success.
It has also shown once more the short-sightedness of national strategies that most of countries, primarily western ones, have applied in the face of this pandemic. Since its arrival over a year and a half ago, many first reacted by closing borders and entrenching themselves in their useless national boundaries, despite that evidence shows how ineffective this measure is, bringing instead harmful consequences. In fact, the only result was increasing discrimination and penalizing countries already largely disadvantaged by this epidemic.
The World Health Organization said the highly mutated Omicron variant of Covid-19 could change the course of the pandemic[i]. The main concern is related to its high transmissibility, currently leading to a new Covid-19 wave in Southern Africa, that could allow this variant to quickly replace Delta worldwide (the variant is expected to be dominant in Europe by February-March[ii]).
What to expect exactly is “still difficult to know” according to WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Certain features of Omicron, including its global spread and large number of mutations, suggest it could have a major impact on the course of the pandemic”. The reality, however, is that very little is known so far about the potential impact of the new variant, especially its severity. Paradoxically, if a lower severity of clinical manifestations than Delta is confirmed, considering the high transmission rate and the fast spread amongst susceptible people, the Omicron variant could even become an advantage. Scientists around the world are currently struggling to get data and understand how contagious and lethal this new variant will be on a large scale.
What we know for sure is the detrimental impact produced by travel bans immediately put in place by many countries. An increasing number of countries are closing borders, prohibiting the arrival of international travelers from Southern African countries where the new variant is being detected. Countries affected by the restrictions are already experiencing heavy economic, commercial and political consequences of this decision, which was not based on any scientific evidence. Ironically, instead of being rewarded for their prompt and efficient surveillance system that allowed other countries to prepare themselves and the scientific community to explore and study the new variant early on in order to find solutions, these countries are being “punished” as the so-called “plague spreaders”.
The WHO had already clearly advised many months ago against travel bans and advocated for countries to continue applying an evidence-informed and risk-based approach when implementing travel measures.
Even in cases when such measures could be effective in mitigating the spread to some degree, they are largely taken when it’s too late. With the Omicron variant it has been demonstrated that the new strain was already circulating in Europe at the time it was detected and announced by South African authorities (whose public health surveillance system was simply the most efficient at detecting it!). So far, according to available data, the Omicron variant has been confirmed in 57 countries[iii].
As WHO has stated, “Blanket travel bans will not prevent the international spread, and they place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods. In addition, they can adversely impact global health efforts during a pandemic by disincentivizing countries to report and share epidemiological and sequencing data. Alternative measures, like screening of passengers prior to travelling and/or upon arrival, including via the use of SARS-CoV-2 testing or the application of quarantine to international travelers defined following a thorough risk assessment process informed by the local epidemiology in departure and destination countries, and commensurate with the risk, time-limited and applied with respect to travelers’ dignity, human rights and fundamental freedoms might be applied to mitigate the potential impact of variant spreading and to fight the epidemic in a more rational way”[iv].
Very little is known about the impact of the new variant on vaccines. A first small study[v] showed a decrease in antibody protection against the new variant, but we know how to identify antibody level with the broader immune protection, given the complexity of this last, can be misleading. While scientists are trying to understand the impact, the pharmaceutical industry already announced that new versions of the vaccine[vi] to fully protect against Omicron will be available by March 2022. Do we really need a new vaccine for this new variant? We don’t know, but we know that the pharma industry is again surfing the wave and ready to make money, and the western governments will eventually pay, even before knowing what data says.
The Omicron variant has also again brought to light the high inequality that has affected middle and low income countries throughout the epidemic more than ever before. Excellent documentation[vii] has spelled out how heavy and long-lasting the impact of the pandemic has been on the poorest countries, and that they not only have been affected by the virus far more than available data shows (we know how weak are surveillance systems in poorest countries) but are paying the heaviest burden in terms of economic impact and ability to recover.
Those who lost income due to the pandemic have been almost twice as likely to spend their assets or savings, leaving them less able to cope with continued or recurrent income losses.
In turn this will likely lead to progressive increase in impoverishing poor; lead to job losses, hamper productivity, stop income growth, increase soil exploitation, and result in deepening economic dependance of the poorest countries on external aid and push more population towards global migration.
How to reverse this vicious circle? To simplify a complex topic, we could say: by giving Covid-19 vaccines to the poorest. This is surely an oversimplification, we can agree; but it is now indisputable that global availability and equal access to vaccines for all countries in the world is a paramount step in the race for global safety and wellbeing.
While western countries are discussing booster options and are about to throw out about 50 million excess doses by the end of the year (according to Airfinity[viii]), the vast majority of countries in the world are far below the minimum coverage level even for vulnerable groups (elderly and people with comorbidity) and health professionals. Full vaccination coverage for Africa is about 7% according to WHO[ix], an average value which hides even worse realities, like Democratic Republic of Congo, where the coverage is around 0,1% of the population. In fact, high-income countries received 16 times more vaccines per capita than poorer nations, according to the Financial Times analysis[x].
As always, the richest countries are (or they pretend to be) so blind that they do not understand that if just for the sake of solidarity and equity, they need to take on the responsibility of tackling this issue. Variants will keep on emerging, and they will likely do so faster where the vaccination coverage is low or patchy and the virus will keep on circulating at a high rate. They will also continue circulating far beyond our ability to detect and stop them in time. After Omicron, there will likely be a new variant; after Sars-Cov-2, there will likely be a new pandemic one day or another, starting in some little corner of the world. The “butterfly effect[xi]” has never been so real.
News Flash Links, as part of the research project PEAH (Policies for Equitable Access to Health), aim to focus on the latest challenges by trade and governments rules to equitable access to health in resource-limited settings
News Flash Links, as part of the research project PEAH (Policies for Equitable Access to Health), aim to focus on the latest challenges by trade and governments rules to equitable access to health in resource-limited settings
