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COVID-19
Newsletter
Volume 17 | July 21st, 2020
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Dear Colleague,
Every week, I hope that I can begin this note by sharing good news about a significant decline in the incidence of COVID-19. Sadly, this has not come to pass for too many countries. However, we can take some comfort in the enormous effort underway to identify an effective vaccine and the therapeutics that can prevent and treat the disease.
We also have an opportunity to redouble our efforts to engage the public and policymakers to wear a mask, wash your hands, maintain social distancing and invest in the public health programs needed to reduce the risk factors underlying some people’s heightened risks for contracting this disease.
Please share the material in this bulletin including the webinars we create and the material organizations around the world have shared with us across clinical care, education, research and advocacy.
Together, we will overcome this, the greatest public health challenge we have seen in a century.
From all of us here at CUGH, stay safe.
Best wishes,
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Keith Martin MD
Executive Director
CUGH
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NOTE:
Some subscribers are experiencing trouble accessing the entire newsletter. Gmail automatically trims longer messages in the inbox. If you are unable to view the entire newsletter, click the "view entire message" link that appears after the content is cut off. For further assistance, please contact info@cugh.org.
This newsletter is divided into the following sections:
- Advocacy efforts
- Recent pandemic updates
- Resources for educators
- Resources for researchers
- Resources for health practitioners
- Member requests
- Other resources
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Communication between scientists, their members of Congress and the public is more critical now than ever. The anti-science movement is a threat to public health and continues to grow even in the face of this pandemic. Scientists need to speak out to address the dangerous messages they are promulgating.
To address this challenge, CUGH created a Network of Academic Advisors (NAA) to connect our members in the US with their congresspersons and the public. It is a platform to share evidence-based solutions that can inform and strengthen public policy development and increase support for US investments and leadership in global health.
We also created the State Technical Advisory Team (STAT) that works in the same way but at a state level.
If you would like to participate in the NAA please fill out
this form
.
Please note that only US citizens may join the STAT or NAA.
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Signed by CUGH's Executive Committee, this call to action was sent following President Donald Trump's formal notification to Congress about his intention to withdraw the US from the WHO. Please use this material and add your own commentary in your advocacy efforts. If you are in the US, contact your congressional representatives' offices voicing your opposition to this action.
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CUGH is partaking in The Campaign to Support WHO, a call to action focused on ensuring US support for the WHO and PAHO. They have created an easy form for individuals to be able to contact their members of Congress on this matter via email.
We are asking you to please participate in this campaign by contacting your Congresspersons through
this form
.
If your organization would like to request an organization sign-on, please see
here
. Additionally, if you work with WHO collaborating centers, it is vital that your Congresspersons hear from you and how this decision will negatively impact the US and the world.
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All CUGH webinars are open access, recorded, and posted at
www.cugh.org
.
Most recent ones include:
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There are over 13 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 570,000+ associated deaths around the world today. Pharmaceutical corporation controlled monopolies and exclusive licenses will not solve this problem. Join Oxfam, UNAIDs, and hundreds of world leaders who are calling for a “People’s Vaccine.” Sign the petition
here
.
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APHA is hosting a multi-part webinar series,
Advancing Racial Equity
, that gives an in-depth look at racism as a driving force of the social determinants of health and equity:
https://apha.org/racial-equity
On July 30
th
, they are also co-sponsoring a congressional briefing entitled
Ending the Triple Pandemic: Advancing Racial Equity by Promoting Health, Economic Opportunity, and Criminal Justice Reform
. The briefing will take place virtually on
Thursday, July 30, 2020 at 2:00pm – 3:30pm ET
. The goals of the briefing are to educate congressional staff and other stakeholders on the disproportionate health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Black community, to highlight structural racism as a driver of systemic inequities in health, the economy, and criminal justice, and to propose policy recommendations to move the nation toward equitable opportunity and racial justice. Senator Cory Booker (NJ) and Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL) are both confirmed as Congressional speakers for the briefing.
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The Wilson Center held an event on the gender implications of COVID-19. Congresswoman Alma Adams, co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus and a champion of women’s health on Capitol Hill, brought her policy perspective to the impact the pandemic has had on women. They discussed the effects on women’s health and employment, the increase in violence against women, and the role of race and racism in the COVID-19 response.
More on the pandemic's toll on women:
“If they use this emergency as an opportunity to replace old systems with new and better ones, countries can build back more prosperous, more prepared, and more equal.” - Melinda Gates
Read
this article
to learn more about Melinda Gates' thoughts on COVID-19 and its impact on women worldwide.
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In this Lancet commentary, the authors, including CUGH Board Chair Dr. Michele Barry, explore the unique challenges for female academics navigating the current global pandemic.
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August 8, 2020 from 1:00 pm - 5:30 pm GMT
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of effective health systems globally. Yet, the field of global health remains deeply embedded in histories of colonialism and neoliberalism that manifest presently in inequities of representation in leadership, educational opportunities, and research agendas among others.
“
Decolonizing Global Health in the Era of COVID-19
” is a virtual conference organized by medical students from Johns Hopkins University and University of Rwanda. The conference will involve discussion groups with attendees from various countries, aimed at developing action items for how we can decolonize global health in our collective everyday work. It will also feature international experts working across the academic, NGO, and government sectors.
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The Africa CDC is the continent’s leading agency to address public health challenges affecting that region. They produce a wealth of knowledge that can be useful to many organizations around the world. Please see their website,
www.africacdc.org
, for:
- Daily COVID-19 updates
- Information on their COVID-19 Response Fund
- Their Pooled Procurement Portal
- Other activities
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This daily (M-F) newsletter from the University of Washington provides a succinct summary of the latest scientific literature related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Click here
to subscribe.
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This website from Johns Hopkins University is an outstanding resource to help advance the understanding of the virus, inform the public, and brief policymakers in order to guide a response, improve care, and save lives. It includes access to an interactive COVID-19 map.
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The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID-19 Center provides tailored guidance to keep people safe. The site also contains a number of resources on the virus, including cases, data, and surveillance.
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The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR),
Foreign Affairs,
and CFR’s Think Global Health website bring you background and analysis on the COVID-19 pandemic, written by CFR fellows, CFR.org and ForeignAffairs.com editorial staffs, and leading experts.
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The COVID Racial Data Tracker is a collaboration between the COVID Tracking Project and the Antiracist Research & Policy Center. Together, they're gathering the most complete race and ethnicity data on COVID-19 in the United States.
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A Preventing Epidemics release, Weekly Science Review provides a snapshot of the new and emerging scientific evidence related to COVID-19.
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Watch Christina H. Paxson, Brown University president, discuss
fall semester planning as colleges and universities consider reopening their campuses during COVID-19. The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) Educators Webinar series offers timely conversations for college and university leaders, administrators, and professors on issues affecting higher education. For more information or to sign up for future webinars, email
cfracademic@cfr.org
.
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Please complete and share this anonymous international survey to study the impact of
#COVID19
on the welfare, health and wellbeing of university academics and students around the world.
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In this article from Developing Research Innovation, Localisation and Leadership (DRILL), the author writes about how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we must think about training future healthcare practitioners. Lockdown, physical distancing, and remote access to education have become the new way of life. Health science students and academics across Africa are impacted by this new normal, with students being sent home to stay safe.
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RESOURCES FOR RESEARCHERS
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Abstracts are due by August 15, 2020
The key purpose of the conference is to promote EIDM and contribute to the development of evidence-informed policy, efficient and effective implementation of policies and programmes as well as learning to accelerate the development of all STI sectors in Africa.
They welcome abstract submissions focusing on COVID-19 for presentation consideration during the conference.
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The Coronavirus Innovation Map is a visual global directory of more than a thousand projects aimed at helping people cope and adapt to life during the crisis. The map was created with the intention of helping innovators to cooperate and build solutions faster. Researchers are invited to add their innovations to the map.
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In a
Global Health Research and Policy
commentary
,
an international team of public health experts call for targeted COVID-19 research in low- and middle-income countries to help mitigate the effects of the pandemic. As of July 1, the confirmed cases of COVID-19 in LMICs have surpassed those in high-income countries. Yet, the authors warn, the impact of the virus on individuals and communities and prevention and response measures in these countries are still not sufficiently understood. Additional research could help inform targeted mitigation strategies and prevent LMICs from bearing the greatest burden of COVID-19, as the region does so often with infectious diseases.
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RESOURCES FOR HEALTH PRACTITIONERS
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Thursday, July 30, 2020 9:00 AM (ET). Deadline to register is July 28th, 2020.
Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions will bring the globe to your screen. All professional nurses, physician assistants, physicians, social workers, psychologists, all health professionals and students are invited to join for an interactive discussion to highlight the impact of COVID-19 on nursing in pediatrics, gerontology, general practice, psychiatric rehabilitation and so much more. Through video and storytelling, nurses from around the world will illustrate their experiences from which we will derive similarities, differences and common themes as each country fights to limit the spread and service patients of the COVID-19 virus.
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Learn more about scope-of-practice policy post COVID-19 pandemic in this article co-authored by Dr. Alden Lai, Assistant Professor of Public Health Policy and Management at New York University.
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Wednesday, July 22nd, 2020 10:00 AM (ET)
As the world grapples with COVID-19, the TB Alliance is convening a virtual panel session to reflect on lessons learned from 20 years of infectious disease drug development and to solicit insights from esteemed global health experts on the front lines of public health management, funding, and policy.
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Masking or face covering amid the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has emerged as a highly polarizing practice, with surprising partisan divisions. While masking remains contentious, there is bipartisan agreement among policy makers that medical exemptions for masking are necessary and appropriate. Yet there is a dearth of guidance for clinicians on how to approach a request for an exemption. The authors of this article analyze the medical and legal standards to guide this debate.
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"GPH-GU 2503 Special Topics: Through the COVID-19 Magnifying Glass: An Examination of Racial and SES Disparities in the U.S." meets July 27th - July 31st; Monday - Friday at 3:30 - 5:30 pm ET.
Join Professors Melody S. Goodman, PhD and Danielle C. Ompad, PhD for this 5-session, 1 credit course that examines the racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic health disparities in COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and mortality. This is free and open to the public.
Register here
.
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In the absence of a cure or a vaccine, countries have to rely on a suite of nonpharmaceutical interventions that include 1) testing, contact tracing, isolation and treatment, 2) hand and cough hygiene, and 3) a range of physical distancing measures (1). This brief reviews the health and socio-economic effects of physical distancing restrictions in Africa and provides recommendations on how to mitigate them. The method adopted to develop the brief was a rapid (unsystematic) review of available literature as well as the team’s expert knowledge, with a caveat that, understandably, there is very little peer-reviewed literature available.
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Wednesday, July 29th, 2020, 7:00 AM (ET)
A diverse panel of health systems innovators, implementers and senior policymakers will share experiences and discuss the mechanisms for engagement with public-private health partnerships during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Our speakers will explore accountable and sustainable mechanisms of engagement - by addressing key questions on how can the new types of partnerships for health system capacity be sustained beyond pilots? What choices need to be made by whom? What is the role of research evidence in promoting shared value and strengthening partnerships across sectors after COVID-19? And what prevents local innovations being rolled-out, integrated, and scaled-up?
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Friday, July 24, 2020 1:30 - 2:00 pm (ET)
Please join the CSIS Global Health Policy Center on Friday, July 24 from 1:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. EDT for a conversation with Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health and member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force on Covid-19 in the United States. The United States is in the midst of a worsening crisis, with Covid-19 cases and deaths increasing in the Sun Belt, the West, and many other parts of the United States. This begs the question: what is the strategy for ensuring that the outbreak does not spiral out of control in the United States? How can the United States strengthen the basic public health capacities – test, trace, and isolate – needed to slow the spread? What federal, state, and local actions may be necessary to protect the American people and safely reopen businesses, schools, and sporting events?
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COVID-19 is a One Health issue. The WHO defines One Health as an approach to designing and implementing programmes, policies, legislation, and research in which multiple sectors communicate and work together to achieve better public health outcomes.
One Health networks (OHNs) have formed around the world to serve professionals with common interests in One Health (OH).
This study aims to describe the contributions of the diverse workforce applying OH to the COVID-19 pandemic and the connection of OHNs to workforce response activities.
We seek your participation in this survey, whether or not you work in OH, are part of a OHN, or are currently involved with COVID-19 response and/or research activities.
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Even during normal times, Latin America, including its public health sectors, struggles to provide adequate services while containing corruption. In Mexico, for example, Impunidad Zero found that between 2014 and 2019, 837 shell companies embezzled $175 million from the health sector. The coronavirus has only amplified this challenge, given the snowballing demand for medications and medical equipment and services. During previous health threats, such as the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak, there were multiple cases of corruption, and early evidence from today’s pandemic suggests COVID-19 will not be any different. The region’s vulnerabilities, meanwhile, extend beyond the medical sector, and include the generous stimulus programs designed as urgent life support to sputtering economies.
Increased corruption is not inevitable, however. Careful public procurement, real-time transparency, robust monitoring and civil society oversight help prevent corruption, or detect it early. Where investments have been made in these institutions and practices, corruption is less likely, but it is difficult to initiate such reforms during a crisis. Moreover, existing safeguards might be bypassed in the name of expediency. What progress did Latin America make prior to the pandemic to guard against corruption, including in the health sector? Is the coronavirus proving the robustness of these systems, or exposing weaknesses? What steps are governments and civil society organizations taking to respond to the increased threat of corruption?
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As health systems around the world struggle to respond to the coronavirus disease 2019pandemic, the crisis has brought into sharp focus several important global environmental health issues. It is becoming clear that environmental and climate factors help shape the landscape within which COVID-19 proliferates around the world, influencing the public health response to the pandemic and interacting with existing environmental health disparities. Read more
here
.
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Takashi Miyahara, Senior Deputy Director-General of the International Bureau of Japan's Ministry of Finance joined Center for Global Development President Masood Ahmed to discuss the Japanese response to COVID-19 in developing countries. Additionally, they discussed the G20 and G7 support for international cooperation and the architecture of global health security after the pandemic.
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Consortium of Universities for Global Health
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