scholarly journals Rampant Increase in Cases of Mucormycosis in India and Pakistan: A Serious Cause for Concern during the Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Behram Khan Ghazi ◽  
Sudhan Rackimuthu ◽  
Um Ul Wara ◽  
Anmol Mohan ◽  
Uzzam Ahmed Khawaja ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Medical Equipment ◽  
Current Increase ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
The World ◽  
New Challenges

COVID-19 is a global health crisis that continues to pose new challenges all around the world. Amidst the growing pandemic, a spike in the number of mucormycosis cases in India and Pakistan has been reported in COVID-19 patients and in those who have recovered from COVID-19. This increase in cases may be related to the overuse of steroids and zinc, the use of industrial oxygen, unsterilized medical equipment, frequent intubation, a weakened immune system, and pre-existing comorbidities such as diabetes. As a result, it is critical to take steps to handle the current increase in mucormycosis cases. Therefore, this article aims to highlight the existence of mucormycosis amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in India and Pakistan, focusing on possible causes and implications, and suggests important plans of action to be taken during this pandemic.

The Impact of COVID-19: Democracy in the Time of a Pandemic

Social Change ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 475-482
Author(s):  
Zoya Hasan
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Social Development ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Domain Experts ◽  
Sharp Focus ◽  
The World ◽  
Democratic Rights ◽  
New Challenges ◽  
The Impact

The recent spread of the delta variant of the COVID-19 pandemic in many countries, though uneven, has once again set alarm bells ringing throughout the world. Nearly two years have passed since the onset of this pandemic: vaccines have been developed and vaccination is underway, but the end of the campaign against the pandemic is nowhere in sight. This drive has merely attempted to adjust and readjust, with or without success, to the various fresh challenges that have kept emerging from time to time. The pandemic’s persistence and its handling by the governments both have had implications for citizens’/peoples’ rights as well as for the systems which were in place before the pandemic. In this symposium domain experts investigate, with a sharp focus on India, the interface between the COVID-19 pandemic and democracy, health, education and social sciences. These contributions are notable for their nuanced and insightful examination of the impact of the pandemic on crucial social development issues with special attention to the exacerbated plight of society’s marginalised sections. In India, as in several other countries, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected democracy. The health crisis came at a moment when India was already experiencing democratic backsliding. The pandemic came in handy in imposing greater restrictions on democratic rights, public discussion and political opposition. This note provides an analysis and commentary on how the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic impacted governance, at times undermining human rights and democratic processes, and posing a range of new challenges to democracy.

scholarly journals The Covid infodemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken Hyland ◽  
Feng (Kevin) Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Medical Research ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Highly Cited

Abstract Covid-19, the greatest global health crisis for a century, brought a new immediacy and urgency to international bio-medical research. The pandemic generated intense competition to produce a vaccine and contain the virus, creating what the World Health Organization referred to as an ‘infodemic’ of published output. In this frantic atmosphere, researchers were keen to get their research noticed. In this paper, we explore whether this enthusiasm influenced the rhetorical presentation of research and encouraged scientists to “sell” their studies. Examining a corpus of the most highly cited SCI articles on the virus published in the first seven months of 2020, we explore authors’ use of hyperbolic and promotional language to boost aspects of their research. Our results show a significant increase in hype to stress certainty, contribution, novelty and potential, especially regarding research methods, outcomes and primacy. Our study sheds light on scientific persuasion at a time of intense social anxiety.

scholarly journals Global Governance and the WHO’s Mandate Post-COVID-19 Crisis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Vilbert
Keyword(s):  
Global Health ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
World Health ◽  
First Year ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Nation States ◽  
Democratic Principle ◽  
The World ◽  
Distribution Of Power ◽  
Health Organization

The COVID-19 has renovated the debate about global health governance. A number of scholars have proposed that the World Health Organization should assume the position of a central coordinator with hierarchical powers, demanding nation-states to “share their sovereignty”. This article presents four main objections to this project. First, when international institutions receive leverage, they use to impose “one-size-fits-all” policies, which conflicts with the characteristic heterogeny across countries. Second, geopolitical questions and the distribution of power in multilateral institutions put developing countries in a position of vulnerability within a hierarchical order. Third, the risk of crowding out parallel initiatives, especially from non-state actors. Fourth, decisions about health can have a major impact on countries, which may thwart the internal democratic principle. A Pareto improvement would be possible by strengthening the WHO’s operational capacity and its ability to issue technical guidance and coordinate with countries. To test this hypothesis, this study analyses the possible influence of the WHO’s guidance in the first year of the coronavirus health crisis, from January 2020 to January 2021, in 37 countries reported in the World Values Survey Wave 7 (2017-2020). The OLS regression performed shows a statistically significant negative relationship between the trust in the WHO, assumed as a proxy for the level of the organization's penetration, and the number of cases of COVID-19 (per million people) in the countries of the sample. These findings reinforce the hypothesis that there is a valid case for the countries to strengthen the WHO’s mandate post-COVID-19, but they should enhance the operations of provision of reliable information and support. Nation-states, in particular the developing ones, should eschew the temptation to create a hierarchical global health structure, which may not only fail due to countries’ asymmetries but is likely to create losers in the process.

scholarly journals Needs assessment and impact of COVID-19 on pharmacy professionals in 31 commonwealth countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane Ashiru-Oredope ◽  
◽  
Amy Hai Yan Chan ◽  
Omotayo Olaoye ◽  
Victoria Rutter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Global Health ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
World Health ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Frequency Distributions ◽  
The World ◽  
Pandemic Response ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background The declaration of COVID-19 a pandemic by the World Health Organization on 11 March 2020 marked the beginning of a global health crisis of an unprecedented nature and scale. The approach taken by countries across the world varied widely, however, the delivery of frontline healthcare was consistently recognised as being central to the pandemic response. This study aimed to identify and explore the issues currently facing pharmacy teams across Commonwealth countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study also evaluates pharmacy professionals’ understanding of key knowledge areas from the COVID-19 webinar hosted by the Commonwealth Pharmacists’ Association (CPA). Method A quantitative survey-based approach was adopted, using a 32-item questionnaire developed from the literature on pharmacy and pandemic response. The survey was hosted on Survey Monkey and pilot tested. The final survey was disseminated by CPA member organisations. A 6-item online questionnaire was sent via email to all attendees of CPA's COVID-19 webinar. Descriptive statistics on frequency distributions and percentages were used to analyse the responses. Data were analysed using Microsoft® Excel (2010). Results There were 545 responses from pharmacy professionals across 31/54 Commonwealth countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific. Majority of the respondents reported being at least somewhat worried (90%) and more than 65% were very worried or extremely about the impact of COVID-19 on them personally and professionally. Nearly two-thirds of respondents stated finding it somewhat difficult or very difficult to work effectively during the pandemic. Challenges mostly faced by pharmacy professionals working remotely included; general anxiety about the impact of COVID-19 on their lives (12%), and difficulties in communicating with their co-workers (12%). Most pharmacy professionals had not previously been actively involved in a global health emergency (82%) nor obtained training on global/public health emergency preparedness (62%). Between 45 and 97% of the COVID-19 webinar attendees provided the correct answers to post-webinar questions, suggesting some improvement in knowledge. Conclusion Our study confirms pharmacy professionals’ concerns about practice during a pandemic and provides preliminary data on the challenges and learning needs of the profession. The CPA has since acted on these findings, providing ongoing opportunities to develop and refine resources for the profession as the pandemic evolves. Pharmacy professionals have also demonstrated improved knowledge on the management of COVID-19 and resources available for professionals.

scholarly journals The World Health Organization in Crisis—Lessons to be Learned Beyond the Ebola Outbreak

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadja Meisterhans
Keyword(s):  
Global Health ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
Legal Theory ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Democratic Reform ◽  
The World ◽  
The Media ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Do So

Blaming the World Health Organization (who) for its failures in the Ebola crisis was a common reaction of the media. However, exclusively denouncing the who for the spread of Ebola falls short as it does not recognize the structural deficits of those recent governance procedures financing global health that lead to a chronic underfunding of the who. Against this background, the article reflects perspectives of a democratic reform of global health funding. It concludes that only the who can provide a leadership on global health matters, but to do so it depends on states willing to rebuild the who’s capacities to act. To address the global health crisis properly, the revitalization of who’s constitutional mandate is critically necessary. The discussion is based on normative legal theory, which argues that processes of globalization have transformed international law into a global rule of law, placing specific duties on states and international institutions.

scholarly journals Doctoral Candidates’ Academic Writing Output and Strategies: Navigating the Challenges of Academic Writing During a Global Health Crisis

10.28945/4755 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 291-317
Author(s):  
Basil Cahusac de Caux
Keyword(s):  
Global Health ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Doctoral Candidates

Aim/Purpose: To date, few studies have investigated the impact of global health crises on the academic writing of doctoral candidates. This paper seeks to start a conversation about the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on doctoral candidates’ academic writing output and strategies. Background: This paper employs and analyses data elicited from surveys and interviews involving doctoral candidates from around the world. Data were collected during April 2020, at a time when government-mandated lockdowns and restrictions on movement were in full force in many countries around the world. Methodology: Surveys were conducted with 118 doctoral candidates from over 40 institutions based in four continents. Follow-up interviews were carried out with four doctoral candidates enrolled in an Australian institution. A qualitative descriptive design, employing thematic analysis, is used to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on doctoral candidates’ writing output and strategies. The data analysis includes statistical descriptions of the surveys. Contribution: This paper provides insights into the myriad challenges and obstacles facing doctoral candidates during the COVID-19 pandemic. It describes the writing strategies adopted by doctoral candidates during a period of significant societal disruption, and illustrates how thematic analysis can be employed in research involving global health crises. Findings: Despite the adoption of novel approaches to academic writing, which appear in an insignificant minority of respondents, doctoral candidates’ overall commitment to academic writing has been negatively impacted by the pandemic. Similarly, delays to academic research activities caused by the pandemic have resulted in a significant decline in commitment (motivation) to academic writing and a substantial impact on doctoral candidates’ ability to write about their research. Recommendations for Practitioners: Supervisors and mentors should strive to provide doctoral candidates with timely feedback during the pandemic. Given the impact of the pandemic on doctoral candidates’ mental health and motivation to write, increased institutional and peer support is required to help doctoral candidates overcome academic issues during the pandemic and future health crises. This researcher recommends consulting regularly with and offering individually tailored solutions to doctoral candidates who are struggling to work on their theses during the pandemic. Similarly, institutions should empower supervisors in ways that allow them to provide greater levels of support to doctoral candidates. Recommendation for Researchers: Further research on the impacts of the pandemic on various academic cohorts, such as early career researchers (doctoral candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and assistant professors) and student cohorts (e.g., undergraduate and postgraduate), will clarify the extent to which the pandemic is impacting the academic writing of doctoral candidates. Impact on Society: The pressure placed on doctoral candidates to produce quality academic writing seems to have been heightened by the pandemic. This has a range of adverse effects for the higher education sector, particularly administrators responsible for managing doctoral candidate success and the academe, which recruits many of its faculty from holders of doctorate degrees. Future Research: Additional focus on academic writing of doctoral candidates during the pandemic is needed. Research should include randomised samples and represent a range of academic disciplines.

scholarly journals COVID-19 E OS IMPACTOS NA INDÚSTRIA PETROLÍFERA: CONSIDERAÇÕES INICIAIS

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Global Health ◽  
World Economy ◽  
Current Situation ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Oil Markets ◽  
The World ◽  
Oil Sector ◽  
Market Changes

SINOPSE Este artigo tem como objetivo analisar os impactos iniciais da Covid-19 nos mercados globais de petróleo. A atual conjuntura possui a particularidade de apresentar alterações de mercado tanto na demanda, por efeitos das medidas de contenção da crise sanitária global, quanto na oferta, como resultado das disputas entre grandes produtores de petróleo, em particular Arábia Saudita e Rússia. Considera-se que os efeitos da pandemia podem resultar em profundas transformações para o setor petrolífero e a economia mundial, a depender da duração e dos desdobramentos da crise. ABSTRACT This article analyzes the initial impacts of Covid-19 on global oil markets. The current situation has the particularity of presenting market changes both in demand, due to the measures to contain the global health crisis, and in supply, as a result of the disputes between large oil producers, in particular Saudi Arabia and Russia. It is considered that the effects of the pandemic may result in profound changes for the oil sector and the world economy, depending on the duration and developments of the crisis.

scholarly journals Impact of Covid-19 on Ginger Export, a Root Crop as Traditional Remedy for Covid-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Ayipey
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Global Health ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
World Health ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Root Crop ◽  
Traditional Remedies ◽  
Traditional Remedy ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

The World Health Organization (WHO) since its foundation in 1946 has worked for the improvement of global health and the fight against infectious diseases by bringing out preventive measures to curb the spread of viruses whiles working on approved medicines and vaccines to help heal infected people. The novel Covid-19 pandemic has currently affected almost every country in the world, and it has greatly caused an effect on the global economy at large. Whiles the World Health Organization is bringing out the specific initiative to address this targeted global health problem, many individuals are also relying on traditional methods to immune their systems as well as protect themselves from contracting the Covid-19 virus. Although, the WHO has declared that these traditional remedies are not certified and approved by the organization, the uncertainties and spontaneous reaction of people not to become victims of the Covid-19 virus employs these traditional remedies, although they are not certain about its effectiveness. This study explores the increase demands for ginger as a root crop to help boost the immunity of the body against the Covid-19 virus, as well as reveal the impact of the Covid-19 on the global economic export of ginger in the global market. The increase in the prices and demand of ginger in some countries in the world can fundamentally be credited to two fundamental factors. The first being the effect of the novel Covid-19 pandemic on international ginger trade, whereby there was an increase in the logistics costs since most borders and countries were under lockdown, and workers were self-isolating themselves from contracting the virus which in the long term resulted to the limited supply of goods for export. The second factor is attributed to the hearsay and tittle-tattle in some countries that ginger can be used as a therapeutic for the novel Covid-19 virus. This article has revealed that the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the export of ginger from China. China which happens to the largest international export country to export ginger globally experienced a decrease in the quantity of ginger exportation during the first quarter of 2020. However, the inability of China to export enough ginger has paved way for other countries such as Peru, Indonesia and Germany, Spain, and Turkey to increase in the export of their ginger to other countries. The increase in demand of ginger in this Covid-19 season is attributed to the ideology of consuming such root crop to boost the immune system of people. This paper argues that irrespective of the WHO unapproved use of ginger as a traditional remedy to cure the virus, people are still using this indigenous skill of herbal healing to boost their immune system. This provides reassurance and safety to people’s health. This assurance of the benefits derived from ginger consumption has led to an increase in demand for it, which has also increased in the global economic impact on ginger export.

scholarly journals Protocol for a Rapid Scoping Review of Evidence of Outdoor Transmission of COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike Weed ◽  
Abby Foad
Keyword(s):  
Global Health ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Mass Gatherings ◽  
Sports Events ◽  
Outdoor Transmission ◽  
The World ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Mass Participation ◽  
National Governments

The COVID-19 pandemic is both a global health crisis, and a civic emergency for national governments, including the UK. As countries across the world loosen their lockdown restrictions, the assumption is generally made that the risk of COVID-19 transmission is lower outdoors, and this assumption has shaped decisions about what activities can re-commence, the circumstances in which they should re-commence, and the conditions under which they should re-commence. This is important for events and activities that generate mass gatherings, particularly mass participation sports events such as running, but also events in other sectors such as concerts, carnivals and festivals. This paper sets out a protocol for a rapid scoping review of evidence of incidents of outdoor transmission of COVID-19, including the settings, environments and circumstances of such transmission, and their comparative prevalence to incidents of indoor transmission. Its purpose is to inform discussions about the recommencement of activities that generate mass gatherings.

s.Four New Challenges, 20 Global Health and Human Rights in the Age of Populism

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gostin Lawrence O ◽  
Constantin Andrés ◽  
Meier Benjamin Mason
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
World War Ii ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
International Affairs ◽  
Health And Human Rights ◽  
Globalizing World ◽  
The World ◽  
New Challenges ◽  
To Come

This chapter examines the threat of populism to global health and human rights. Out of the ashes of World War II, institutions of global health and human rights have brought the world together in unprecedented cooperation, giving rise to the successes and opportunities detailed throughout this text. However, the current populist age threatens these successes and raises obstacles to future progress. In violent contrast with the shared goals of a globalizing world, populism seeks to retrench nations inward, with right-wing populist nationalism directly challenging institutions of global health, violating the rights of vulnerable populations, and spurring isolationism in international affairs. Such retrenchment could lead to a rejection of both global governance and human rights as a basis for global health. Yet, with hope for the future, there remains enduring strength in institutions of global health and human rights, with these institutional bulwarks capable of facing the challenges to come.

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