Can you lock down in a slum? And who would benefit if you tried? Difficult questions about epidemiology's commitment to global health inequalities during Covid-19
The initial response to the Covid-19 pandemic was characterised by swift “lockdowns,” a cluster of measures defined by a shared goal of suppressing Covid-19 and a shared character of restricting departure from the home except for specific purposes. By mid-April 2020, most countries were implementing...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Global Epidemiology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590113322000049 |
| _version_ | 1811197446104023040 |
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| author | Alex Broadbent, PhD Pieter Streicher, PhD |
| author_facet | Alex Broadbent, PhD Pieter Streicher, PhD |
| author_sort | Alex Broadbent, PhD |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The initial response to the Covid-19 pandemic was characterised by swift “lockdowns,” a cluster of measures defined by a shared goal of suppressing Covid-19 and a shared character of restricting departure from the home except for specific purposes. By mid-April 2020, most countries were implementing stringent measures of this kind. This essay contends that (1) some epidemiologists played a central role in formulating and promulgating lockdown as a policy and (2) lockdowns were foreseeably harmful to the Global Poor, and foreseeably offered them little benefit, relative to less stringent measures. In view of the widespread commitment to reducing global health inequalities within the profession, this should prompt reflection within the epidemiological community and further work on pandemic response measures more appropriate for the Global Poor. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T01:13:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f03e903aa22e4c468dbdbf66f4123aeb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2590-1133 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T01:13:48Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Global Epidemiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-f03e903aa22e4c468dbdbf66f4123aeb2022-12-22T03:54:01ZengElsevierGlobal Epidemiology2590-11332022-12-014100074Can you lock down in a slum? And who would benefit if you tried? Difficult questions about epidemiology's commitment to global health inequalities during Covid-19Alex Broadbent, PhD0Pieter Streicher, PhD1Centre for Humanities Engaging Science and Society, Durham University, UK; Department of Philosophy, University of Johannesburg, UK; Corresponding author at: Centre for Humanities Engaging Science and Society, Durham University, 50 Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HN, UK.Centre for Humanities Engaging Science and Society, Durham University, UK; Department of Philosophy, University of Johannesburg, UKThe initial response to the Covid-19 pandemic was characterised by swift “lockdowns,” a cluster of measures defined by a shared goal of suppressing Covid-19 and a shared character of restricting departure from the home except for specific purposes. By mid-April 2020, most countries were implementing stringent measures of this kind. This essay contends that (1) some epidemiologists played a central role in formulating and promulgating lockdown as a policy and (2) lockdowns were foreseeably harmful to the Global Poor, and foreseeably offered them little benefit, relative to less stringent measures. In view of the widespread commitment to reducing global health inequalities within the profession, this should prompt reflection within the epidemiological community and further work on pandemic response measures more appropriate for the Global Poor.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590113322000049EpidemiologyInequalitiesCovid-19Public healthPovertyPhilosophy of epidemiology |
| spellingShingle | Alex Broadbent, PhD Pieter Streicher, PhD Can you lock down in a slum? And who would benefit if you tried? Difficult questions about epidemiology's commitment to global health inequalities during Covid-19 Global Epidemiology Epidemiology Inequalities Covid-19 Public health Poverty Philosophy of epidemiology |
| title | Can you lock down in a slum? And who would benefit if you tried? Difficult questions about epidemiology's commitment to global health inequalities during Covid-19 |
| title_full | Can you lock down in a slum? And who would benefit if you tried? Difficult questions about epidemiology's commitment to global health inequalities during Covid-19 |
| title_fullStr | Can you lock down in a slum? And who would benefit if you tried? Difficult questions about epidemiology's commitment to global health inequalities during Covid-19 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Can you lock down in a slum? And who would benefit if you tried? Difficult questions about epidemiology's commitment to global health inequalities during Covid-19 |
| title_short | Can you lock down in a slum? And who would benefit if you tried? Difficult questions about epidemiology's commitment to global health inequalities during Covid-19 |
| title_sort | can you lock down in a slum and who would benefit if you tried difficult questions about epidemiology s commitment to global health inequalities during covid 19 |
| topic | Epidemiology Inequalities Covid-19 Public health Poverty Philosophy of epidemiology |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590113322000049 |
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