Dealing with what have been called ‘wicked’ and ‘adaptive’ problems is a huge challenge for political leaders. A ‘clumsy’ response can be inevitable – and even desirable.
When COVID-19 struck, Australia’s Treasury didn’t have the luxury of years of work, refinement and debate to develop JobKeeper. It had to perform battlefield surgery.
As we begin to emerge from restrictions, there are many things the federal government could do to improve the conditions for those stranded, and speed up their return home.
Josh Van Veen, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Jack Vowles, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Jennifer Curtin, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Lara Greaves, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau y Sam Crawley, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
One year on, the NZ Election Survey crunches the numbers on what drove Jacinda Ardern’s unprecedented 2020 victory.
While ivermectin was originally used to treat river blindness, it has also been repurposed to treat other human parasitic infections.
ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP via Getty Images
Ivermectin has been a lifesaving drug for people with parasitic infections like river blindness and strongyloidiasis. But taking it for COVID-19 may result in the opposite effect.
Lucy Beaumont, The Conversation y Liam Petterson, The Conversation
‘Racism and misogyny are part of it. They simultaneously spruik pseudoscience and anti-science agendas which have come to Australia from overseas,’ said one expert.
The ongoing pandemic has accelerated and deepened our dependency on internet technologies.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has meant an increased dependence on digital technologies. However, this comes with a serious threat to our personal privacy and property.
In light of mounting research showing the serious risks of contracting COVID-19 during pregnancy, the CDC is re-upping its urgency that pregnant women get their shots.
Marijuana use among college students during the pandemic reached record highs, data show.
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Michelle Wise, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
COVID vaccines have no effect on fertility, do not impact the chance of a miscarriage, and are safe and effective while pregnant. Here’s what the science shows.
Although some youth are clearly reporting a negative effect on their social, personal and educational lives during the pandemic, the majority are responding to COVID-19 in ways that are developmentally and psychologically normal.
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Is there a mental health crisis among young people, or are worry and sadness to be expected? Pathologizing normal, healthy responses to adverse events promotes misunderstanding about mental illness.
On Weibo, a Twitter-like social media website in China, feminists created hashtags such as “#她能” (#SheCan), “#看见女性劳动者” (#SeeingWomenWorkers) with the aim of helping women feel empowered.
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Feminists across China came together on Weibo to fight back against under- and misrepresentation of them during the early days of COVID-19.
Threatened by insecurity, farmers in Nigeria’s farm belt are increasingly abandoning their land, leading to higher cost of food
Photo by Kola Sulaimon/AFP via Getty Images
Nigeria’s post COVID-19 economic recovery plan has resulted in only marginal improvements in economic growth, manufacturing and foreign direct investment.
Food is prepared by a South African non-profit to feed over 87 000 people in underprivileged communities at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Cape Town in 2020.
Photo by Brenton Geach/Gallo Images via Getty Images
Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne
Dean Faculty of Health Sciences and Professor of Vaccinology at University of the Witwatersrand; and Director of the SAMRC Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand