As part of
this work I have followed Global Health Trends.
These trends have always provided lessons and learning that go far
beyond the ‘boundaries’ of global health (and those interested in it), but
today’s focus on the global pandemic may provide an opportunity to share some
of those interconnected themes to a wider audience.
People centered work – no matter what the focus of our
work is, ultimately it must come down to making people’s lives better. Although it is sometimes easy to lose this
focus if we may be a step or two removed from direct service, global health
keeps this front and center. It is a good focus for us all to remember.
Interconnectedness – one’s health does not just
depend on absence of illness, but on many other factors including livelihood
and a livable income, clean water and air, and a peaceful environment (absence
of war) among others. This clear
interconnectedness of many often siloed ‘issue areas’ to one’s health has encouraged
more holistic approaches to global health challenges.
Collaboration – with the interconnectedness
noted above, effective solutions come from reaching beyond traditional networks
to identify a wide range of partners.
Some of the oldest and most effective multi-stakeholder collaborations
come from the global health field. We
can all more learn more from them. Here
is a good example of scientists working together to deal with the current pandemic
despite political obstacles. And here is
a good example of WHO reaching out to
creative people to
help with spreading good practices to address the current pandemic.
Focus on equity – this has been a focus in the
global health community for many years now.
If it was not already evident, it should now be, that without a focus on
health (and other types of ) equity, pandemics respect no boundaries, income
level or privilege and not to focus on inequities will affect us all more
directly than it may have seemed in the past.
Leadership – There are good leadership lessons from those who are standing out during the current crisis, including Dr. Tedros of WHO and Dr. Fauci in the US.
Learning from wherever it may come –
Years ago the Clinton Administration had a program called Lessons
without Borders which shared lessons learned by USAID in other parts of the
world that could be used in the US.
Unfortunately this program died at the end of that administration and it
is now even hard to find links that describe it. But within the health field, this idea has
often still been followed. One great
example is the partnership just announced between
the US State of Massachusetts and Partners in Health to use Partner in Health’s experience
fighting pandemics around the world domestically within the US to fight
covid-19.