It is undeniable that the world we live in today is vastly different from what we knew prior to March 2020. The sudden emergence and rapid spread of COVID-19 has resulted in the first—but likely not the last— pandemic of the 21st century. While we are all susceptible to this coronavirus, we now see that COVID-19 is not the great equalizer that we thought it might be when it first appeared on the horizon. Instead, we have seen that throughout the country, African Americans, Latinx, and poorer members of our community are at much higher risk of infection and severe disease than others. We should also expect that globally, those living in lower-income countries with weaker health systems will bear an even greater burden of illness and death than we have seen in higher-income countries. This again highlights how social determinants of health are often much more important than biological determinants of health.
And as if COVID-19 didn’t present us with a big enough challenge, the murders of George Floyd and many others, along with the subsequent protests have shown us once again how deep structural racism continues its cruel, destructive work. Both the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement have been twin spotlights that have served to illuminate the ongoing injustices in our society which need to be addressed with urgency.
Like many other institutions, the Eck Institute for Global Health quickly transitioned to operate remotely in accordance with the University of Notre Dame’s policies and Indiana’s mandated “stay at home” order. Faculty members made necessary adjustments to their research activities, and our students in the Master of Science in Global Health program began online learning and adjusted their Capstone Research Projects due to travel restrictions. In reflecting on the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past few months, I am reminded of how resilient we can be during crises. During this time of physical distancing—which has been a major challenge for us all— our sense of social connectedness to family and friends and the wider community has actually been strengthened and has been a wake-up call for us to focus on what really matters in life.
COVID-19 has provided a dramatic reminder of our global interconnectedness and of the direct linkage between health and economic development. Increased investment in research, training, and public health infrastructure will be crucial to the success of combating COVID-19 as well as future pandemics. I remain optimistic that we can emerge from this challenging time stronger, more resilient, and better equipped to realize the vision of health as a fundamental human right. If we can seize this moment to push for access to greater economic opportunity and health care for all people everywhere, we will have taken a giant leap forward on the road to a healthier and more just society.
I’ve also been inspired by a number of our Institute members who have effectively pivoted their research activities to understand the spread of the virus, track vaccine development and vaccine trials, and assist with local surveillance initiatives. In this newsletter, we highlight some of that work and will continue to provide updates in the future. I hope that you and your families and communities remain well and healthy.
