COVID-19 and health inequities
It is not new that deep-rooted inequities in healthcare exist. These are rooted in systemic social injustices spanning decades and centuries including racism, a driving force of the social determinants of health, such as housing, education, and employment.
COVID-19 has clearly shed more light on the existing health inequities, where in the United States, communities of color have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. The existing chronic disease burden also underscores the health disparities in these minority communities. People of color face higher rates of diabetes, obesity, stroke, heart disease, and cancer than white Americans. A whole-of-society approach and tailored public health response (e.g., for COVID-19, increasing testing capacity and resources in hardest-hit communities) is necessary to ensure better health and well-being for all.
Suggest Reading: Scientific American, " The COVID-19 Response is Failing Communities of Color", NPR, " What Do Coronavirus Racial Disparities Look Like State By State?", Pew Charitable Trusts (blog), " COVID-19 Is Crushing Black Communities. Some States Are Paying Attention "Dismantle Collective Resources: https://www.dismantlecollective.org/resources/ |
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HFI welcomes new team members
After receiving an overwhelmingly large volume of applications and interest, this past month, we are excited to announce our expansion by almost two-fold.
We warmly welcome Nabeel Akram, our Director of Global Operations, who comes with 20+ years of experience in country program development, spanning health systems and financing modalities. In addition, we welcome Country Ambassadors in Nigeria (Tagbo Azubike and Kanyinsola Oyeyinka) and Cambodia (Charlotte Aberdein and Chean Rithy Men). Molly Gorman has also joined the team as Executive Assistant.
We also welcome our cohort of interns: William Dunn, Debra Winberg, Vidhurath Venkatesh, Samantha Martinez, and Thomas Roades. They are supporting country programs, innovative finance/impact investing, health economics, and operational activities.
Click here to learn more about our team members.
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HFI Country Programs
Country scoping activities in Nigeria and Cambodia have been underway this month, with the help of on-the-ground Country Ambassadors with extensive partnership building experiences. We are expanding activities in Mexico, Jordan, and Tanzania, and will be seeking Country Ambassadors in these countries. To learn more about our country programs click here.
As always, if you are working in these countries and are interested in finding ways to collaborate, please reach out at info@healthfinanceinstitute.org
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HFI Support for WHO
Recent leadership decisions from the United States will threaten and undermine collective action towards the fight against COVID-19, and progress towards better health for the world and humanity writ large. While the proposed termination of the US relationship with the WHO will be examined by formal processes upheld in Congress, HFI stands strongly against this unilateral decision. Now more than ever, it is a time for continued solidarity. HFI continues to express our support for the World Health Organization during this trying time.
Watch our CEO, Dr. Andrea Feigl, speak on this in a recent interview.
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Staff takeaways from WHA
Time to Get Our Act Together on Health Emergencies and UHC
UHC2030 and the Global Health Centre launched a new UHC2030 discussion paper on health emergencies and UHC. COVID-19 has highlighted the need for: i) sufficient funding for common goods for health, and ii) removing financial barriers to accessing health care. Funding “Common Goods for Health”, which require public financing, will help ensure a better response to the next crisis. Public health functions – such as comprehensive surveillance, data and information systems, regulation, communication, and information campaigns – need resources (and need to be organized systems-wide).
Masked Heroines? Building Resilience Begins with a Gender-Equitable Health Workforce
The COVID-19 pandemic brought to light some of the deep rooted inequities undermining the health care system. Half of the work women do that goes towards the health sector goes unpaid, adding up to 3 trillion USD annually. There is a growing need for work gender equality issues to be addressed in decision making discussions, and that women in all of these front line roles need to be recognized and compensated for their work.
El Susto: The Political and Commercial Determinants of Type 2 Diabetes
There is a high prevalence of diabetes in Mexico, in part due to the high levels of soda consumption, sometimes even used as a replacement for clean water when sanitation is an issue. Although the government has tried to put policies in place to reduce and discourage soda consumption, diabetes remains the number one cause of mortality in Mexico. The expression “El Susto” refers to the effects of the influx of overprocessed foods and how it shocked Mexico’s food (and public health) sectors.
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Resources
- WHO newsletter May 20, 2020. Sign up to subscribe here.
- NCD Alliance, COVID-19 Resources Relevant to NCDs
- World Economic Forum, World vs. Virus podcast
- PIH Webinar Series, Sign-up here.
- COVID-19 Tracking Project
- World Health Organization (WHO), “COVID-19 significantly impacts health services for non-communicable diseases"
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Are you at higher risk”.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “People with asthma and COVID-19”.
- National Cancer Institute (NCI), “Coronavirus: What people with cancer should know”.
- Resolve to Save Lives, “Novel Coronavirus, a priority for the NCD community too”.
- American Diabetes Association, “How coronavirus impacts people with diabetes”.
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Events
- SwitchPoint 2020, 17-18 September 2020, Saxapahaw, NC, organized by IntraHealth International
- The International Social and Behavior Change Communication Summit, 19-23 October 2020, Marrakech, Morocco
- Micronutrient Forum 5th Global Conference, 8-13 November 2020, Bangkok, Thailand, organized by Micronutrient Forum
- 2020 ESO-WSO Conference, 7-9 November 2020, organized by European Stroke Organisation and World Stroke Organization
- Geneva Health Forum, 16-18 November 2020, Geneva, Switzerland, organized by Geneva Health Forum
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Please consider making a donation to support our work.
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Thank you for your interest in HFI!
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