World Health Day takes place on the 7th of April, commemorating the anniversary of when the World Health Organization was founded in 1948. The theme for World Health Day 2022 is Health Promotion for Well-being, Equity and Sustainable Development. It is in this spirit that Frontiers in Public Health is launching a new article collection to coincide with this UN Day. This occasion not only offers an opportunity to acknowledge World Health Day, but also to draw attention to current and ongoing health topics, such as COVID-19 and its implications on LMICs and MICs in the post pandemic era.
The circumstances in which people are born into and live, is a fundamental factor in determining how well they are able to survive, and also how they are able to sustain healthy and safe lives during a global health crisis; this has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 was a challenge for all countries, however, for many, a sense of normality and safety continues to return as vaccination numbers rise and case numbers lower – all only possible with the available and accessible robust health care systems in place. However, the lasting impact of COVID-19 has been harshest in LMICs and MICs, particularly within economically-deprived communities without access to quality health care services, who continue to experience adverse health outcomes of the virus, as well as damage to their societies and economies.
The devastating health inequities present in these communities are exacerbated by the burden of COVID-19, which underlines the continued urgency to bring health and well-being to the forefront of all economies to grant all the capacity to have full control over their own health and to lead prosperous lives. By diminishing the inequitable distribution in health care access and services within developing countries, this will allow for the creation of societies committed to achieving sustainable and equitable health care, both in the present and future, without breaching ecological limits.
This Research Topic focuses on LMICs and MICs during and post-COVID-19 outbreaks. This topic aims to highlight the importance of continuing to address the aftermath and impact of COVID-19, as well as the worsening and persistent health inequities that prevail and been accentuated in the current era of the pandemic. Considering these points, this Research Topic aims to gather manuscripts around, but not limited to the following themes:
• Recently highlighted health and socioeconomic inequalities since the start of COVID-19 in LMICs and MICs (including monitoring strategies of health inequities);
• Health and socioeconomic inequalities that have been accentuated by post-COVID-19;
• How existing health inequities have changed post the COVID-19 pandemic in LMICs and MICs;
• Recent strategies implemented to diminish inequitable distribution of health services in LMICs and MICs post the COVID-19 pandemic (including financial strategies to establish and sustain robust provision of health services and the and financing of health services);
• Evaluation of available health care services in the incidence and survival of COVID-19 in LMICs and MICs and changes needed to be applicable in the future occurrence of global health crisis;
• The effect of social inequalities in access to health care in the incidence and survival of COVID-19 in LMICs and MICs (including vaccination availability and accessibility - did this change post pandemic?);
• Effect of implemented measures to reduce transmission of COVID-19 and contain the pandemic in LMICs and MICs – did these succeed or increase the likelihood of adverse health outcomes?;
• Investments and changes to health systems already implemented and those needed to meet the increased demand and supply of health services in response to COVID-19/global health crisis in LMICs and MICS.
World Health Day takes place on the 7th of April, commemorating the anniversary of when the World Health Organization was founded in 1948. The theme for World Health Day 2022 is Health Promotion for Well-being, Equity and Sustainable Development. It is in this spirit that Frontiers in Public Health is launching a new article collection to coincide with this UN Day. This occasion not only offers an opportunity to acknowledge World Health Day, but also to draw attention to current and ongoing health topics, such as COVID-19 and its implications on LMICs and MICs in the post pandemic era.
The circumstances in which people are born into and live, is a fundamental factor in determining how well they are able to survive, and also how they are able to sustain healthy and safe lives during a global health crisis; this has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 was a challenge for all countries, however, for many, a sense of normality and safety continues to return as vaccination numbers rise and case numbers lower – all only possible with the available and accessible robust health care systems in place. However, the lasting impact of COVID-19 has been harshest in LMICs and MICs, particularly within economically-deprived communities without access to quality health care services, who continue to experience adverse health outcomes of the virus, as well as damage to their societies and economies.
The devastating health inequities present in these communities are exacerbated by the burden of COVID-19, which underlines the continued urgency to bring health and well-being to the forefront of all economies to grant all the capacity to have full control over their own health and to lead prosperous lives. By diminishing the inequitable distribution in health care access and services within developing countries, this will allow for the creation of societies committed to achieving sustainable and equitable health care, both in the present and future, without breaching ecological limits.
This Research Topic focuses on LMICs and MICs during and post-COVID-19 outbreaks. This topic aims to highlight the importance of continuing to address the aftermath and impact of COVID-19, as well as the worsening and persistent health inequities that prevail and been accentuated in the current era of the pandemic. Considering these points, this Research Topic aims to gather manuscripts around, but not limited to the following themes:
• Recently highlighted health and socioeconomic inequalities since the start of COVID-19 in LMICs and MICs (including monitoring strategies of health inequities);
• Health and socioeconomic inequalities that have been accentuated by post-COVID-19;
• How existing health inequities have changed post the COVID-19 pandemic in LMICs and MICs;
• Recent strategies implemented to diminish inequitable distribution of health services in LMICs and MICs post the COVID-19 pandemic (including financial strategies to establish and sustain robust provision of health services and the and financing of health services);
• Evaluation of available health care services in the incidence and survival of COVID-19 in LMICs and MICs and changes needed to be applicable in the future occurrence of global health crisis;
• The effect of social inequalities in access to health care in the incidence and survival of COVID-19 in LMICs and MICs (including vaccination availability and accessibility - did this change post pandemic?);
• Effect of implemented measures to reduce transmission of COVID-19 and contain the pandemic in LMICs and MICs – did these succeed or increase the likelihood of adverse health outcomes?;
• Investments and changes to health systems already implemented and those needed to meet the increased demand and supply of health services in response to COVID-19/global health crisis in LMICs and MICS.