Analysis of the racial profile of women with COVID-19: a cross-sectional study about evolution to death of black women in the southeast region of Brazil

Introduction: The first coronavirus disease (COVID-19) case in Brazil was registered in December 2019. Since then, an important social situation has been highlighted. Black women correspond to the highest death rate, by group, in the Southeast even not occupying the highest percentage of diagnosis. This scenario was also experienced in other places around the world. Therefore, some questions must be highlighted, such as social and economic vulnerability of black population in brazilian territory, less access to health service and testing for Covid-19. Objective: This study analyzed the clinical picture and evolution - cure or death-of black women with COVID-19 in the Southeast region. In addition, consolidating knowledge about the factors that precede death in black women and comparing them with other race groups. Methods: Cross-sectional study with data from the Ministry of Health's Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) from March to November 23, 2020, with a total number of women classified as level 5, with SARS caused by the virus SARS-Cov-2, equal to 33,991, being 21,551 white and 12,063 black. Results and Conclusion: Therefore, black women present themselves as a vulnerable group in relation to COVID-19. This group was less present in the ICU, but both groups, white and black women, had dyspnea as an aggravating factor. Considering those facts, it's possible that black women had less access, this would explain a greater number of deaths among this group compared to white women, which could signify a failure in the health care of this population. When analyzing deaths by age group, it is evident that white women followed the literature pattern - severe forms occur in patients over 65 years of age with comorbidities, while there was a rejuvenation of deaths among black women. It is a limitation of our study not to include comorbidities in the analysis. This situation becomes relevant for directing public policies that aim to reverse the factors associated with this situation. More studies are needed to elucidate the socioeconomic issues that support this outcome, seeking to reduce the number of deaths from COVID-19 in black women.

An Innovative and Globally Competitive Higher Education Sector is a Prerequisite for Radical Economic Transformation in South Africa

Radical economic transformation has come to mean many different things to many different people. In recent political discourse, the concept has been utilised to symbolise the government’s commitment to fast-track changes in the structure of the economy, particularly from the perspective of revisiting the ownership of wealth and resources. When loosely used, the term somehow confers upon government the agency to ensure that the ownership structure of the economy should be transformed (radically) in a manner that changes the structure and pace of economic development and fulfils the aspirations of the National Development Plan. This paper argues that the idea of radicalised economic transformation is a contested one, because economic transformation can hardly be radicalised in the sense that is being communicated in the mainstream discourse. The transformation of any economy requires painstaking mechanical and systematic remodelling of certain push pillars within several sectors, of which the higher education sector is key. Radicalising the process of economic transformation in South Africa could hardly be achieved without radical steps to transform the role, contribution and output of the higher education sector. The construction of an economic development project that brings about sustainable, meaningful improvements would require much more than a rhetoric commitment to the romantic notion of radical economic transformation. It will require dealing with built-in weaknesses of the system and picking seed pillars with a potential to inject radical change into the broader economy. It is the key argument of this paper that radicalising the transformation of the higher education sector is the real prerequisite to radical economic transformation, especially when such transformation targets more than the racial profile of university staff to also focus on output, efficiency and global competitiveness.

How The Supreme Court Can Improve Educational Opportunities for African American and Hispanic Students by Ruling Against Harvard College’s Use of Race Data

Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard has not only exposed ways in which Harvard College’s admissions office unfairly assesses Asian American applicants, but it has also revealed that Harvard’s fixation on race per se can disadvantage the very African American and Hispanic students best positioned to bring instructive and underrepresented perspectives to the college. The facts show that Harvard’s “tips” and “one-pager” system values African American and Hispanic students for their ability to boost Harvard’s racial profile more than for their actual experiences confronting racial discrimination. This Comment explains how, by ruling against Harvard (and without overruling Grutter or Fisher II), the Court can force the college to adopt admissions policies that not only treat all applicants more fairly, but that more fully affirm African American and Hispanic applicants. This Comment also offers ways that a ruling against Harvard could benefit disadvantaged African American and Hispanic students at every grade level—whether or not they ever apply to Harvard.

A Semana da Consciência Negra em uma Escola Periférica: Narrativas de um Trabalho Coletivo

RESUMOO objetivo do trabalho é inscrever os enfrentamentos para implementação de um projeto interdisciplinar em escola pública periférica, sobre a cultura afro-brasileira. Justifica-se a partir de evidências cotidianas e estatísticas onde os sujeitos negros são “invisibilizados” nas narrativas que compõem a identidade nacional brasileira. Pelas narrativas das professoras envolvidas no projeto, buscou-se problematizar, contextualizar e refletir a partir de bibliografia majoritariamente negra, as crises e dramas do cotidiano escolar específicos ao recorte racial. Considera-se que professoras e professores necessitam fazer voz para que a prática de enaltecer a pluralidade de existências e a luta do povo negro no Brasil ocorra não apenas em datas específicas, mas ao longo de todo o ano letivo.Consciência negra. Racismo. Escola. Narrativas. Projeto interdisciplinar. ABSTRACTThe work objective is to register the confrontations for the implementation of an interdisciplinary project in a peripheral public school, about Afro-Brazilian culture. It is justified based on daily evidence and statistics where black people are “invisible” in the narratives that make up the Brazilian national identity. Through the narratives of the teachers involved in the project, we sought to problematize, contextualize, and reflect from a mostly black bibliography, such as crises and dramas of the school routine specifics to the racial profile. It is considered that qualified teachers need to make a voice so that the practice of extolling the plurality of existences and the struggle of the black people in Brazil occurs not only on specific dates, but throughout the school year.Black awareness. Racism. School. Narratives. Interdisciplinary project. RESUMENEl objetivo del trabajo es registrar los enfrentamientos para la implementación de un proyecto interdisciplinario en una escuela pública periférica, sobre la cultura afrobrasileña. Se justifica con base en evidencias y estadísticas diarias donde los sujetos negros son “invisibilizados” en las narrativas que conforman la identidad nacional brasileña. A través de las narrativas de las docentes involucradas en el proyecto, se buscó problematizar, contextualizar y reflexionar desde una bibliografía mayoritariamente negra, las crisis y dramas de la rutina escolar propios del contorno racial. Se considera que las profesoras y los profesores necesitan hacer una voz para que la práctica de ensalzar la pluralidad de existencias y la lucha del pueblo negro en Brasil ocurra no solo en fechas específicas, sino durante todo el año escolar.Conciencia negra. Racismo. Escuela. Narrativas. proyecto interdisciplinario. SOMMARIOL'obiettivo del lavoro è registrare i confronti per l'attuazione di un progetto interdisciplinare in una scuola pubblica periferica, sulla cultura afro-brasiliana. È giustificato sulla base di prove e statistiche quotidiane in cui i soggetti neri sono "invisibili" nelle narrazioni che compongono l'identità nazionale brasiliana. Attraverso le narrazioni dei docenti coinvolti nel progetto si è cercato di problematizzare, contestualizzare e riflettere da una bibliografia prevalentemente nera, le crisi e i drammi della routine scolastica tipica del profilo razziale. Si ritiene che gli insegnanti e le insegnanti debbano farsi una voce in modo che la pratica di esaltare la pluralità delle esistenze e la lotta dei neri in Brasile avvenga non solo in date specifiche, ma durante l'intero anno scolastico.Coscienza nera. Razzismo. Scuola. Narrazioni. progetto interdisciplinare.

Partnerships and Collaborations: The Right Alliances for Clinical Trials in Africa

Africa attracts < 1% of all trials conducted around the world. The implication is that proof of safety and efficacy in Africans is lacking for a lot of new therapies. The sizeable proportion of approximately 20% of the global population that Africa represents largely does not have empiric data to support use of new therapies in a population with a distinct genetic and racial profile. Beyond the imperative of evidence-based interventions, Africans carry a disproportionately heavy burden of certain diseases, including prostate cancer, sickle cell anemia, and malaria. It therefore provides opportunity for efficient recruitment of participants for trials for such diseases. However, this advantage has not convinced sponsors to carry out clinical trials in Africa. India and China each have roughly the same population size as Africa, but each presents just one regulatory jurisdiction for clinical trials. Africa has 54 countries, and a sponsor would theoretically need to file 54 different applications to cover the entire continent. Collaboration and partnership among all stakeholders in the clinical trial ecosystem will reduce the burden on sponsors and make Africa competitive as a destination for clinical trials. Collaboration among national regulatory agencies will enable Africa to be treated as one regulatory jurisdiction and reduce administrative burden. Sites and researchers can partner to improve quality, attain necessary certifications, and increase overall efficiency. Central to all of these are clinical research organizations that can coordinate and work across borders to make clinical trial projects seamless. Ultimately, patients will benefit as quality of clinical practice improves and access to new therapies is enhanced.