The US PEPFAR initiative has brought HIV medication to millions of people globally. Behind this progress are the activists that pressured politicians and companies to put patients over patents.
Prejudice and stigma can discourage the communities most affected by infectious diseases from seeking care. Inclusive public health messaging can prevent misinformation and guide the most vulnerable.
Systemic social issues affect vaccine access and acceptability. Yet, the term ‘vaccine hesitancy’ overlooks this, reducing the multiple factors that affect vaccine uptake to individual-level choices.
Time is running out to expand an agreement to relax patent rules on COVID vaccines. Members of the World Trade Organization should broaden its scope to treatments and tests.
If we want people with complex care needs to prioritise their health, cutting patient fees, providing flexible hours and paying attention to their social circumstances would be a good start.
Children and youth in care are more likely to have experienced trauma that can affect future health. A comprehensive, trauma-informed health strategy for these children and youth is long overdue.
Overcoming the access barriers and biases that underrepresented and underserved communities face could not only improve research participation but also improve care.
Clive Aspin, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
The omission of growing evidence that Māori, and Māori women in particular, have worse health outcomes after HIV infection could derail New Zealand’s elimination plans and exacerbate disparities.
During spring and summer, as more people consider exercising outdoors, a trauma- and violence-informed approach to physical activity can help ensure equity, inclusion, safety and access.
For people who struggle to meet their basic needs, it will take a lot more than simple psychological exercises to flourish. It will take systemic change.
On the surface, sober months like Dry January and Dry February are great. But we need to broaden the discussion around how privilege and policy impact one’s relationship with alcohol and other drugs.
Governance structures that provide opportunities for people to contribute to decision-making would also enhance people’s abilities to control important factors in their life.
Vaccines and medical treatments can only go so far in an unequal society. Facing the ongoing history of racial discrimination and bias in the US would help end the pandemic.
Dougal Sutherland, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Lockdowns can exacerbate existing mental illness, but people without a history of mental illness can also find themselves feeling low, unmotivated and lacking a sense of purpose.
After the CDC changed course in late July, recommending universal masking indoors, Nevada became the first state to adopt a flexible masking policy that can quickly adjust to changing COVID-19 rates.
Professor and Canada Research Chair in Global Health Governance; Scientific Director, Pacific Institute on Pathogens, Pandemics and Society, Simon Fraser University