Governing in a pandemic Flashcards
good governance during a pandemic
to respond to Covid, the rules of good governance apply more than ever
how does good governance shape the control of epidemics
- gaining control over future pandemics would depend on resource availability and deployment, and the government’s response to the public health crisis
- more than on increased medical knowledge about treatment and prevention
– building rational trust is fundamental to health promotion
why is good governance more important than medical knowledge
- people tend to trust the government
- people feel like complying in their governance if it is in their own self interest
- necessary for rational trust
flattening the Epidemic curve
flattening the Epidemic curve with protective measures
* travel restrictions
* isolation
* social distancing
government has to ensure they flatten the curve when it comes to pandemics
basic reproduction rate (RO) of an infectious disease
- RO is used to measure the transmission potential of a disease
- the number of secondary infections produced by a typical case of an infection in a population that is totally susceptible
- it depends on the duration of the infectious period
*an estimate of the speed at which a particular infectious disease can currently spread through a given population. Specifically, it refers to the number of people that one person can transmit on average
RO
the probability of infecting a susceptible individual during one contact
the number of new susceptible people contacted per unit of time
RO can vary for different infectious diseases but also for the same disease in different populations
what are the attributes of good governance
human rights council has identified key attributes of good governance
- transparency
- responsibility
- accountability
- participation
- responsiveness
ladder of intervention
health policies are political in nature and not without contestation (not entirely uncontroversial)
ladder of intervention shows varying degree of government action and curtailment of individual freedoms
top vs bottom latter of intervention
bottom: doing nothing or just monitoring the situation
top: eliminate choice (greatest level of intervention)
example:
Governments eliminate choice by requiring vaccines and masks in public
can also provide people with info about covid and trust them to make choices for them and their families
Governments may do nothing in response to covid
policy dilemmas
policies most likely to promote health are those that eliminate choice entirely, but they may be politically unpopular
doing nothing or monitoring the situation is least likely to promote health, but is often easier politically
Initial government responses compared with the spread of COVID
middle east and Africa had their responses in place
south and east Asia and the pacific did not have responses in place
sequencing of initial policy adoption
ramping up of restrictions affects global response and cooperation
public health measures and unintended consequences
staying home – loss of income
homeless population – fined for being in groups and couldn’t access foodbanks and shelters
older adults – isolation
public health and civil liberties
people were advocating for their own civil liberties
public health trying to maintain health of public while considering civil liberties especially travel restrictions
public health vs civil liberties
public health: measures taken to protect against risk
civil liberties: commitment to secure protected rights and freedoms of individuals against incursions by the state
* freedom of expression
* freedom of assembly
* mobility rights
infodemic
misinformation
* overabundance of information or unanswered questions/concerns
can lead to unintended consequences
infodemic – measures of mitigation
- health education and early education of infodemics
- build public understanding about evolving nature of science and the scienfitic process
digital surveillance: Privacy rights
south korea tracks citizens with mobile phones, car GPS, credit cards, etc
China installed cameras to point at infected people doorway to monitor movements
rights and data surrendered temporarily during an emergency can become very difficult to get back
- Freedom of expression
Precautionary Principles
action should be taken to mitigate catastrophic risk, even in the absence of complete evidence of the benefits of the intervention or nature of the risk
application of the precautionary principle should be:
* proportional to the chosen level of protection
* non-discriminatory
* consistent with similar measures already taken
* based on examination of the potential benefits and costs
* subject to review
the stringency index
composite measure based on nine response indicators to a value from 0 to 100 (100=strictest)
measure that assesses policies that governments have taken to tackle COVID-19.
containment and health index
measures the number and intensity of closure and containment policies and policies towards disease surveillance
* schools closing
* stay at home measures
public procurement
different states fighting each other
- Procurement refers to the process where the government buys goods and services using public money
- Public money is money the government raises from the general public through taxes
- For example, when the government buys textbooks, or pays for the building of a new school, a procurement process must be followed
global health
global health is an area of study, research, and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide
tropical medicine
instrument of power (tied to colonization) aimed at keeping colonizers and subsequently the labour force alive in the colonial tropics
colonial/military medicine
medicine used as a weapon with which to secure imperial rule
international health
focuses more on health issues of countries other than one’s own – especially low-income and middle-income
