Editorial: HEALTH SECURITY, GLOBAL HEALTH SECURITY, VACCINE DIPLOMACY, HEALTH GOVERNANCE
COVID-19 pandemic is a sign of how vulnerable and fragile our world is. The virus has upended societies, put world’s population in grave danger and exposed deep inequalities. It has taken less than few weeks for COVID-19 to erode the social fabric of our societies and dismantle their orderly structure. Since December 2019, more than 182 million people have been infected by Coronavirus worldwide, and close to four million people have lost their lives (as of 1st July 2021) (WHO, 2021). This virus has posed a serious security challenge at all levels, namely global, national and human. It is a worst combined health and socioeconomic crisis in living memory and catastrophe at every level. COVID-19 has shown how an infectious disease can sweep the globe in weeks and in space of few months, set back sustainable development by years. It is not the first health catastrophe that has hit the humanity. In last century, the world has seen ill-effects of epidemics like Spanish flu, plague, smallpox, Ebola and SARS. However, current pandemic is different from previous ones in terms of amount of disruption it has brought to the world. Read More
Patent - Compulsory Licensing – Vaccine Diplomacy – Government Administration – A Grand Strategy
The world is divided over India’s representation and insistence on the issue of granting “Compulsory License” status for COVID 19 Vaccine. It seems ‘Humanity’ which was the basis for WTO-TRIPs – WIPO Regulatory regime and in terms thereof, respective member countries incorporating ‘Compulsory License’ provisions in their IPR laws, has taken a backseat and commercial elements and urge for international dominance has been at the forefront. Vaccine Diplomacy & Green Passport measures have invoked mixed responses. Given India’s better vaccine manufacturing abilities amongst the developing nations, world is looking at India for its policy stand. Author has made an effort to take stock of India’s strategy of bringing developed nations to agree for co-ordinated efforts to fight against Wuhan Virus and how it adheres to its well established thought process on “Vasudheiva Kutumbakam” Read More
India’s HEALTH Diplomacy: Pandemic and Beyond
The COVID-19 pandemic has upset the world in an unprecedented manner. It is not the first health catastrophe that has hit the humanity. In last century alone, the world has seen ill effects of epidemics like Spanish flu, plague, smallpox, Ebola and SARS. However, the current pandemic is different from the previous ones in terms of the amount of disruption it has brought to the world. Since December 2019, more than 182 million people have been infected by the Coronavirus worldwide, and close to four million people have lost their lives (WHO, 2021, July 1). It has spread to almost all countries within the United Nations (UN) fold, and has restricted the movement of the people from one part of the world to another. It has also led to great economic upheaval causing job losses and displacement of workforce. In other words, this virus has posed a serious security challenge at all levels, namely global, national and human. Read More
India in Space for Health: A Case of Tele-Medicine and Tele-Health
As a multidisciplinary, dynamic and constantly evolving field, the global health sector has always adopted new modalities for the faster and more reliable delivery of the healthcare services. After half a century, since the advances in the space sector began, the high technologies developed by various space agencies have made their way for finding various cross-domain applications. The potential of satellites to play a vital role in optimising and augmenting the global health sector, though explored for decades now remains unassessed for its terrestrial applications, especially for its societal applications. This paper provides an overview of range of applications of space technologies for addressing the challenges to global health. The paper further assesses India’s Telemedicine and Telehealth sector and attempts to identify prospects for using them as a tool for its foreign policy. Read More
Global Health Security: Challenges and Perspectives of Preparedness and Response in Context of COVID – 19 Pandemic and Beyond
‘Global health security’ (GHS) is undergoing major transformation today after COVID – 19 crisis. GHS has shifted from exclusively referring to revisions occurring to international public health norms to now marking a complex arena where multiple actors debate and re-consider what counts as both ‘preparedness’ and measurable health systems strengthening ‘action’. The shift has far-reaching effects on global health policy. GHS is nebulous, defying stable definition or singular meaning. Coordinates for GHS have changed, with new pieces fitting together in ways unexpected or unimagined. History and origins of idea of GHS have been explored by others (Weir, 2012; Weir, 2015; Kamradt-Scott, 2015; Davies, Kamradt-Scott & Rushton, 2015). Read More
Global Vaccine Disparity- A Serious Concern
Scholars have debated on the nuances of haranguing over resources for long, for some have considered it to be a means to security, while others have stretched out towards global domination. However, most are of the opinion that not only does it entails power projection but cements the position of a state in the global arena. While the inter-war period1 witnessed European states in a power projection spree, the Cold War and the Post-Cold War period witnessed various newer means of resource hoarding and domination. With the raging pandemic the wealthier nations, prime in their vaccine innovation have already taken the lead in addition to stocking up on raw materials and supplies leaving the poorer nations in the lurch. While India, the PRC and Russia did step in and so did the Covax alliance little has been done. India’s second wave dashed all hopes for a rescue, and the PRC’s diabolical game and wolfish nature is a cause for concern. It is understood that unless there is an ethical redistribution of vaccines, a vigorous vaccination drive globally there may be no economic recovery and restoration of normalcy. Such pathetic attitude by the harbingers of democracy would only lend a hand to the PRC which is the source of the pandemic and cast aspersions on Western democracies. Read More
Global Health Security: A New Urge for Resilient Multilateralism
The Covid-19 with its global spread has impacted heavily on the multilateral institutions as never before. The closing of national boundaries and sudden disruption of global network of transport and supply chain has led to skepticism about the capacity of multilateralism and multilateral institutions. But the very transnational implications of the pandemic and multilateral cooperation in responses, sharing of pandemic information and research cooperation signifies that world needs the multilateral cooperation and enhanced institutional capacity more than before to deal with impending pandemic which are going to recur more frequently as per the medical research and predictions. Read More
Massive Disruption to Health Care Caused by COVID-19 in Asia and Rest of World and opportunity to supply medicines to the patients
COVID-19 had massively disrupted health systems and health service delivery in low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia in 2020. COVID-19 has gulped the entire globe and every single individual is fighting aginst this pandemic either emotionally or though financial set back. Medical system has collapse in almost all the countries including the most developed and rich countries like USA, UK and most of the EU countries. Since this is infectious disease, it is very challenging for India to control the spread but also to provide the healthcare facility to the patient who can’t afford, specifically in rural areas where healthcare facility are not so advanced. Read More
Essentials of Health Security for Combating COVID – 19 in India
The COVID-19 pandemic is sign of how vulnerable and fragile our world is. The virus has upended societies, put world’s population in grave danger and exposed deep inequalities. COVID 19 pandemic is the worst combined health and socioeconomic crisis in living memory and a catastrophe at every level. In India, public health has been given important place in public policy and National health policies are formed to prevent and protect citizens and be prepared for any health emergencies. Read More
BOOK REVIEW: Till We Win: India’s Fight against the COVID-19 Pandemic
‘Till We Win’ provides comprehensive analysis of India’s journey and response to COVID-19 pandemic and documents and deliberates how India, fought and continues to fight against novel coronavirus, SARS- CoV-2. This book is as much for general readers as it is for health policy makers. The book was brainchild of Dr. Chandrakant Lahariya, public policy and health systems expert, and has benefitted from involvement of two key personnel in India’s responses — Dr. Gagandeep Kang, renowned vaccine researcher and virologist, and Dr. Randeep Guleria, director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. It is a book by three medical experts at forefront of India’s fight against Covid-19 who say that what prompted them to write this book was the misinformation that surrounded the pandemic and the need to provide key information to citizens about how the pandemic emerged and grew – what was done, what continues to be done, and what future may hold for India. They also aimed to capitalise on increased interest in health system, as India readies for ‘new normal’. All three authors are ‘insider outsiders’. Even while being part of government’s pandemic response, they have not shied away from expressing divergent opinions, and nudging policymakers towards course-correction. Read More
