“I don’t want people to be frightened. I don’t want to create panic.” When it emerged last week that President Trump downplayed the seriousness of COVID-19 to avoid panic, public health experts found a couple structural flaws in his argument. First, societies…
The US government’s Operation Warp Speed may not be exceeding light speed, but it’s going pretty darn fast for a massive, government-run vaccine testing program. One major challenge: Landing 150,000+ volunteers who are sufficiently diverse in age, ethnicity, sex, health…
The heaviest-hit city in the heaviest-hit country? My hometown. Sint-Truiden is a quaint town of just 40,000 people, considered the “Fruit Capital” of Belgium. A small town filled with proud and hard-working locals, known across the country to be ”e ras apoat” (“…
The COVID-19 pandemic put the extraordinary power and impact of women leaders around the world on full display. From national leaders in Singapore, New Zealand, and Germany to local and community leaders across the US, women are being lauded for making a difference in their…
The senseless killings of George Floyd and so many others have sparked not only outrage in me but bitter memories. George Floyd’s death wasn’t just the evil action of 4 police officers, but the projection of a society without values. Watching the video of his final moments…
Early, determined steps against COVID-19 across Africa, including strict lockdowns, helped limit deaths—but carried stinging socio-economic costs. To limit the pandemic’s devastating impacts, African countries will need to invest in their health systems, social protection…
Archie C. Gbessay is hard to get on the phone. When I caught him over a patchy Facebook call in early April, he was rushing through the streets of West Point—Monrovia’s largest slum—checking on hand-washing stations.
America, reeling from twin crises brought on by police brutality and a virus that takes disproportionate aim at people of color, must now reckon with the racism that paved the path for both. To understand the challenges, Global Health NOW turned to Lisa Cooper, MD, MPH, a…
With the biggest pandemic in a century raging, you’d think this year’s 15,000 new public health graduates wouldn’t have much difficulty finding a job. But COVID-19 has badly shaken the economy and depleted government coffers, making near-term hiring prospects rocky at best.
