Eyeing COVID Through PEAH Independent Lens: Which Takeaways?

At a time when the impact of COVID pandemic is grabbling headlines, this has resulted in a lot of COVID focused PEAH published articles. Smart tips from them are highlighted here as an intriguing, sometimes outside the box addition to the currently relevant literature 

by  Daniele Dionisio

PEAH – Policies for Equitable Access to Health

 

Eyeing COVID Through PEAH Independent Lens

Which Takeaways?

 

A blog running without any grant/funding support, Policies for Equitable Access to Health-PEAH aims to face all health priority challenges (including climate safeguarding and fair access to care, medicines and food) from a view encompassing the policies, strategies and practices of all involved actors.

While benefiting from world scale audience actively coming to the website, PEAH is currently backed by academics and stakeholders from a number of organisations worldwide, who continue posting articles on it.

At a time when the impact of COVID pandemic is grabbling headlines, this has resulted in a lot of COVID focused PEAH published articles. Selected smart tips from them are highlighted below as an intriguing, sometimes outside the box addition to the currently relevant literature. 

To begin with, while pointing the finger at world scale inequalities and inequities bound up with the current global political and economic system as the root cause of COVID outbreak, many contributors have carried out insightful analysis on what farsighted governments should adopt first to fill the gaps and build a fairer post-COVID world.

In this connection, thoughts in What is COVID-19 Revealing to Us? by Angelo Stefanini are worth echoing:

…It is not enough for public health professionals and those fighting for the right to health to help contain COVID-19 epidemic and respond to the needs of those affected by the virus. It is equally essential, in fact, to analyse how the pandemic plunges its roots in a global political and economic system characterized by inequality, disease and poverty, thus identifying the opportunities that the crisis presents to change it for the better. 

"The tradition of the oppressed teaches us that the 'state of emergency' in which we live is not the exception but the rule."  

Walter Benjamin  

This need for transparency and collaboration requires us to answer a fundamental question: What is COVID-19 revealing to us? 

1 – It is revealing to us the total unpreparedness of the regional health “system”. 

2 – It is revealing to us how our society is profoundly fragile.

3 – It is revealing to us that the body is a bio-political reality.

4 – It is revealing to us how a health and social crisis can influence in a sinister way the ability to judge a situation with balance and reasonableness.

5 – It is revealing to us that there is always a trade-off, a give-and-take exchange between my personal good and the collective good.

6 – It is revealing to us that this crisis is not simply caused by an infectious disease.

7 – It is revealing to us that before the arrival of COVID-19 we were already sick in different ways with a social pathology called individualism.

8 – Finally, it is revealing to us that the global economic system in which we live, considered by many to be the best and only possible, called capitalism, is at the root of the rapid spread of COVID-19 around the world.

 This way of re-contextualizing the pandemic is very important because the solution to COVID-19 will not emerge from a laboratory, but from the vision of how we protect people in our society. 

Let’s mull over while eyeing A Global Health Crisis To Shape a New Globalisation by Enrique Restoy:

After major crises and wars, the world tends to recompose itself. One such crisis is Covid-19. The pandemic is exposing deep inequalities within and between countries that question the current model of globalisation. 

This piece argues that the pandemic is so widespread and disruptive that it is bound to bring significant changes in the world order. Covid-19 is already altering the balance of powers in global health, provoking a rethinking of a new legal and policy framework to prepare and respond to future global health threats, and inspiring a popular movement to treat global health as a global public good. 

A critical question is whether these changes will combine to address economic, environmental, and social inequalities rendering globalisation more legitimate, transparent and accountable; or whether the new order in global health will perpetuate inequality… 

…I see three critical areas of positive change if global health was to reform because of Covid-19: a new global health balance of powers, a change in the laws and practices of international cooperation on health, and a popular movement for equality in the access to vaccines and equitable access to health in all countries.

 Relevantly, critical reflections are included in  Postscript – The World at Risk: Covid-19, Global Sustainability and 1 HOPE by George Lueddeke:

…The questions on everyone’s mind are ‘when will the pandemic be over?’ and ‘what changes will need to be put in place to create a new “normal,”?’ –  one that mitigates the probability of a pandemic reoccurrence, and other possibly future crises.  As someone recently said, the “old normal” was never “normal,”  not when we have regions and countries, for example, Africa and India – with over 1 billion people each – excluded as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the UN’s most powerful body that  has ‘primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security’ but seems to be in a state of  Covid-19 ‘paralysis,’  when we are driving species to extinction at about 1000 times baseline rates, while decreasing vertebrate animals by more than  50% in the past two generations. And, definitely not when social injustices and inequities are allowed to continue (e.g., the Syrian conflict – creating ‘one of the worst humanitarian crises of our time’ with millions killed or forced to flee their homes now facing Covid-19, and, globally, 4.5 billion out of c 7.8 billion without safe sanitation). Can we really continue on a planet where annual funding for conflicts and wars (c. US $13 trillion) is prioritised over peace (c. US $ 6 billion) with on-going attempts to reduce even this amount?  And, can we simply ignore the latest metaphorical re-setting of the Atomic Clock (threats to humanity – e.g., nuclear weapons, climate change, pandemics) by the members of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, from 2 minutes to midnight in 2018 to 100 seconds in January 2020?…

 To-the-point, Plague and Depression in the Just-In-Time World by Ted Schrecker offers remarkable insights: 

…From a health equity perspective, it is hard to know where to start when discussing the epidemic.  In the United States, it has dramatically revealed – and will almost certainly widen – the health inequalities associated with an uninsured population of 30 million, and millions more with inadequate coverage.  As CBC News noted, ‘poorer people are less likely to get tested early, to have health coverage, to be allowed to work from home, to get paid leave and to work or study from a video connection’.  The vulnerabilities of millions of workers in the ‘gig economy’ extend far beyond the United States, with swiftly deployed compensation schemes less likely to reach them than workers whose employment is less precarious.  In the UK, poor families were reported borrowing to buy food a week into a multi-week lockdown, and the impact of a decade of austerity combined with neglect of basic public health principles to lead one professional to comment: “The public and media are not aware that today we no longer live in a city with a properly functioning western health-care system”. To state the obvious, the virus is likely to have a truly devastating impact in many dense and hyper-unequal cities in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, where much employment is informal; social distancing is impossible; governments’ already limited fiscal capacity will be further weakened by capital flight; and health systems can muster only a fraction of the resources available in high-income countries, where many health systems like the UK’s are already stressed to the breaking point… 

On this wavelength, glimmers of hope arise from Diseases Are Neglected by the Pharmaceutical Industry by Luciana M.N. Lopes and Alan Rossi Silva: 

The concern about access, so far, has not yet been incorporated into research for treatments or vaccines for COVID-19, despite significant pressure from civil society.  The several years of indifference to the reality of people affected by neglected diseases seem to have created one of the greatest obstacles to the coronavirus pandemic control. By accepting that new health technologies were determined by Big Pharma’s economic interest at the expense of millions of people’s lives, we’ve naturalized our lives pricing and the understanding of health as a commodity – and an expensive one! So now we are forced to ask ourselves: when the coronavirus vaccine comes out, will my family and I have access to it? Will we and our health systems be able to buy the drug? 

The good news is that the COVID-19 pandemic, exactly by collecting our debts from the past, is also giving us the opportunity to stop, think, catch up on our obligations and put our house in order. ….We won’t be able to overcome this challenge if we continue to accept a system that ignores the suffering of millions of people as if they were less valuable and their needs were less urgent. Epidemics and diseases, regardless of our will, will continue to emerge. What we can change is how we look at those affected by all of them and how we face them. It’s precisely at this moment when humanity is called to fight an invisible enemy that we have the unique opportunity to notice the silenced reality of those who have waited, for a long time, to be seen.

 Inherently, as for the urgency for worldwide universal access to vaccines in the light of skyrocketed spread of SARS-Cov-2 variants, let’s hear from SARS-Cov-2 Omicron Variant: Holding Our Leaders Accountable by Raymond Saner:

Watching the emergence of  this new  dangerous SARS-Cov-2 variant called Omicron, I am dismayed at the inability of the developed countries to come to terms with the fact that not to help vaccinate our brothers and sisters in DCs and LDCs is a despicable lack of empathy and care by our leaders and also a grave unprofessional judgement to think that by not taking care of the “rest” of the world and vaccinate only “our people” would do the trick. Instead, by not extending cooperation to the DCs and LDCs, the developing countries will be laboratories for the mutations of the virus and these new and more dangerous virus versions will inevitably travel to the rich part of the world.

As such, let me recall my short piece in PEAH in March of this year, including where ending with the following para:

QUESTION

 In view of the points listed above, why is not possible to call the ongoing pandemic an international security situation and to impose compulsory licensing and forced production through requisition of existing laboratories to produce as fast as possible the quantity of vaccines that are needed to avoid a situation where the pandemic continues, the new variants possibly render current vaccines less effective and the available human and financial resources become exhausted and ineffective?

 When it comes to areas of concern involving preparedness and accountability of ministries and politicians, let’s refer to Living with COVID in a Transformed World by Brian Johnston:

Many politicians now appear to think that if they ignore increasing case rates, growing hospitalisations for COVID and daily death tolls reminiscent of war, the ogre that is COVID will somehow lose interest and go away, never to return. This is magical thinking, which links our fate to a “wait and see mentality.” It gambles the health and wellbeing of countless souls on the belief that if you hope for something to happen with enough fervour, the world will miraculously change for the better. Unfortunately, life is never that simple and the universe is governed by scientific principles centred around cause and effect. 

In this respect, tips from Apropos of COVID-19: Shall We Question Ourselves? by Francisco Becerra deserve mention: 

…It seems to be that many ministries and secretariats of health forget about preparedness. We have seen, time and again, that every time there is a regional epidemiological problem, a health issue of significant proportions in some country, things must start from scratch to face it and control it. Preparedness plans -if any- are not quickly implemented, laboratory equipment or reagents, not ready, personal protection equipment not available, or too old to be used… 

Along these lines, let’s now have a look at  Death in the Time of COVID by Brian Johnston: 

Recording and understanding the numbers of cases and deaths from COVID-19 at a local, regional and national level and how these vary over time and changing circumstances, is an epidemiological, as well as a moral imperative. However, as with many human endeavours, especially those based on good intentions, the reporting of this “truth” is never straightforward…..

…A major barrier to effective action when addressing any problem is to deny its existence or to downplay its importance – if there are only a small number of deaths reported in a country, then those in power can justify treating COVID as a lower priority, or worse still, take measures that allow the damage to continue hidden from sight. Similarly, the ability of other states to find effective solutions to the many challenges offered by COVID is compromised by questionable or distorted data from countries consciously engaging in under-reporting of deaths. 

And, as for WHO functioning is concerned, plenty of suggestions are put forward in Corona-Policy-Chaos and Health for All by Judith Richter:

 The current functioning of WHO needs to be questioned, whereby reflections should focus beyond the current pandemic.  Not only to tackle future pandemics – but also to address the impact of poverty and harmful commercial practices on peoples’ health – WHO needs to be enabled to fulfil its constitutional mandate to work for health for all as a human right. For too long, it (and other UN agencies) have been pressured to support the neoliberal restructuring of these agencies and the trading away of their key functions, a process to which top officials have actively contributed.  WHO needs to be enabled to fulfill its function of being the coordinating agency in public health as well as regulating transnational practices. 

To this aim, full public funding of public institutions has to come seriously on the public agenda, through which the idea of corporate funding of the World Health Organization should be stopped. 

 All in all, which takeaways from what highlighted so far? Definitely, that, as maintained in Implications of Covid-19 Pandemic on Health Systems by Francisco Becerra-Posada, how countries cope and invest  for their future during and after Covid-19 will determine the recovering and coming back to what we used to know as “our normal lives”. Meaning that the present time is the opportunity countries’ governments have to take and move forward social support to fairly sustain their vulnerable groups, as well as to support the productive sector with financial incentives and equitable measures.

As inalienable pre-condition, this ties to awareness, as in Back to Basics – Lessons Learnt from COVID-19 Pandemic by Meenakumari Natarajan, that In the current pandemic scenario, public health experts need to look at the establishment of animal health care and the strengthening of an ecosystem where human and animal will live congruently to protect human health. This integrated, holistic and harmonious approach to protecting human health is referred to as one world one health, a name coined by the wildlife conservation society. A better understanding of the ecosystem is needed to protect public health’

In a nutshell, to achieve COVID-19 far reaching recovery humankind is required, at government, corporate and civil society levels, to set green economy in motion first, while managing to curb inequalities and inequities throughout poor and rich nations.

Echoing George Lueddeke’s Rebuilding Trust and Compassion in a Covid-19 World‘The greatest challenge in our path to building more equal, inclusive and sustainable economies and societies, underscored in Survival: One Health, One Planet, One Future, lies with making a fundamental paradigm or mindshift  from seeing the world through a strictly  human-centric lens to taking a wider more inclusive eco-centric view – ensuring the needs of humans are compatible with the needs of our ecosystems.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SARS-Cov-2 Omicron Variant: Holding Our Leaders Accountable

It is a grave unprofessional judgment by our leaders to think that by not taking care of the “rest” of the world and vaccinate only “our people” would do the trick. Under these circumstances, the developing countries will be laboratories for the mutations of the virus and these new and more dangerous virus versions will inevitably travel to the rich part of the world

By Raymond Saner, Ph.D.

Professor Titular University of Basle, Switzerland 

Director, Centre for Socio-Eco-Nomic Development, Geneva, Switzerland

Accredited by ECOSOC since June 2014 Special Consultative Status to the United Nations

www.diplomacydialogue.org

raymond.saner@unibas.ch

 SARS-Cov-2 Omicron Variant

Holding Our Leaders Accountable

OPEN LETTER

 

Watching the emergence of  this new  dangerous SARS-Cov-2 variant called Omicron, I am dismayed at the inability of the developed countries to come to terms with the fact that not to help vaccinate our brothers and sisters in DCs and LDCs is a despicable lack of empathy and care by our leaders and also a grave unprofessional judgement to think that by not taking care of the “rest” of the world and vaccinate only “our people” would do the trick. Instead, by not extending cooperation to the DCs and LDCs, the developing countries will be laboratories for the mutations of the virus and these new and more dangerous virus versions will inevitably travel to the rich part of the world.

As such, let me recall my short piece in PEAH in March of this year, including where ending with the following para:

QUESTION 

In view of the points listed above, why is not possible to call the ongoing pandemic an international security situation and to impose compulsory licensing and forced production through requisition of existing laboratories to produce as fast as possible the quantity of vaccines that are needed to avoid a situation where the pandemic continues, the new variants possibly render current vaccines less effective and the available human and financial resources become exhausted and ineffective?

To me, the new variant puts the whole world into a war like situation. We have to go beyond the little tactical moves of our politicians and the shrewd business tactics of the oligopoly pharma industry and hold the politicians in “charge” of our countries liable for dereliction in office.

About the latter, I have proposed to do a moot court for students to practice and explore possibilities to hold our leaders accountable for dereliction in office. Any suggestion where to put it up would be welcome!

 

Thanks for contributing answers and suggestions to the points and question raised above

News Flash 456: Weekly Snapshot of Public Health Challenges

News Flash Links, as part of the research project PEAH (Policies for Equitable Access to Health), aim to focus on the latest challenges by trade and governments rules to equitable access to health in resource-limited settings

News Flash 456

Weekly Snapshot of Public Health Challenges

 

Call for nominations to serve on the WHO Youth Council

COHRED Global R&D Equity Initiative: Invitation to Act

UK to host G7 foreign and development ministers on Dec. 10-12

Living Well on a Finite Planet: Building a Caring World Beyond Growth

How the World Bank can be bolder on climate finance after COP 26

UN shipping summit criticised for ‘dangerous’ delay on emissions plan

Universal healthcare ‘shouldn’t cost the earth’

Climate Change with 8 Billion Humans

Meeting Registration: WHA Today – WHA Special Session on Pandemic Treaty, 29 November – 1 December 2021

24 November 2021 G2H2 Report ‘The politics of a WHO pandemic treaty in a disenchanted world

‘Broad Consensus’ on Binding Pandemic Pact, Says Tedros

Human Rights Must Guide a Pandemic Treaty

The Pandemic Treaty Proposal expands global health inequities

Independent Panel Co-Chairs Blast Slow Pace of Pandemic Reforms – Call for UN Summit After Next Week’s Special World Health Assembly 

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Weekly Update

Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine: EMA recommends approval for children aged 5 to 11

WHO issues guidelines on the treatment of children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19

WHO and MPP announce the first transparent, global, non-exclusive licence for a COVID-19 technology

EMA receives application for marketing authorisation for Lagevrio (molnupiravir) for treating patients with COVID 19

EMA evaluating data on booster dose of COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen

The struggle for vaccine equity intensifies in Italy

Vaccine inequity persists as African continent yet to surpass 10% vaccination rate

COVID-19 affected the treatment of tuberculosis, cancer

Research suggests malaria exposure could reduce COVID-19 severity

Threat of superbugs looms large with few new drugs in the pipeline

Leaving no one behind: the need for a truly global response to antimicrobial resistance

2011-2020: More than 40% decrease in sales of antimicrobials for use in animals

World AIDS Day conference: “Global Health Champion Germany?! From HIV to SARS-CoV-2. What have we (not) learned? December 1, 2021

QUALITY AND RELIABLE INFORMATION ON HIV PREVENTION FOR TEENS IN UKRAINE

Ten simple rules for Global North researchers to stop perpetuating helicopter research in the Global South

Registration: Care Extractivism Webinar Nov 29, 2021 08:00 PM in India

Combatting Health Misinformation And Disinformation: Building An Evidence Base

Women bore brunt of social and economic impacts of Covid – Red Cross

 

 

 

 

 

 

COHRED Global R&D Equity Initiative: Invitation to Act

 This invitation is not just about ‘sharing vaccines when a pandemic occurs’, it is not about ‘more global funding by the G7 or G20’ nor about ‘temporary waivers of IPR. This proposal is about global action to work towards an effective Global R&D Preparedness Ecosystem – and to improve the R&D capability of low- and middle-income countries as essential component of global preparedness and R&D Equity

A pragmatic conceptualization of a Global R&D Ecosystem opens the doors to purposeful participation by any country, no matter their stage of scientific and economic development. Any country can and should co-create, make improvements and be supported in their efforts to improve their capacity for R&D and towards scaling knowledge and products for equitable responses to any global threat. 

R&D Equity is core to achieving the SDG 2030 agenda and essential to pursuing global health, equity and development in the decades to come

 Global R&D Equity

Essential Link to Global Preparedness

INVITATION to ACT

Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED)

September 2021

Contact person for information, explanation or expression of interest:

Prof. Carel IJsselmuiden, Executive Director COHRED

1-5 route des Morillons, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland

cohred@cohred.org

 

The purpose of this call to action is to co-create a unique platform to strengthen the Research and Development (R&D) ecosystems of low- and middle-income countries as an essential component of global preparedness and efforts to realize the sustainable development goals. 

This invitation is, in first instance, directed at nations as those that implement and lead. 

Beyond nations, this invitation is to all others committed to support the growth of capable R&D ecosystems in low- and middle-income countries.

Dependence on global solidarity and generosity is not a reliable approach to global preparedness – neither for pandemics nor for global challenges resulting from climate change, growing socio-economic inequities and other major determinants of global health and well-being. A capable and flexible Global R&D Ecosystem comprising capable and re-purposable national R&D ecosystems – including in low- and middle-income countries – is a far better option for global preparedness and equitable access.

The R&D Equity initiative is uniquely positioned to achieving that.

 

Solving Vaccine Inequity requires R&D Equity
Contents 

 

Introduction

  1. Lessons in Global Preparedness from the COVID-19 Pandemic 

Why is global R&D Equity necessary for the future preparedness?

Global R&D Equity confers a safer future for everyone

  1. Global Pandemic Preparedness – a multitude of actions but no comprehensive global plan for equitable prevention, preparedness and control 
  1. R&D Equity – the action agenda

Supporting the SDG 2030 Agenda

Creating a platform for comprehensive global action in R&D preparedness

  1. Financial and Other Engagements to support the Commission’s work
  1. Working with COHRED
Appendix

Key Reference Documents

Abbreviations used

 

Introduction

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates that the world is not yet geared to deal effectively and equitably with the prevention and control of major global challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the systemic inequities that pervade our societies and that are fundamental to our collective inability for rapid and effective control of the pandemic. “Vaccine inequity” and “vaccine nationalism” are both key symptoms and causes of ineffective pandemic control. They are a failure of both global justice and of global preparedness.

There is no reason to believe that the world is any better prepared to address other global challenges to health, well-being and equitable development, including challenges expected to result from climate change, threats to water and food security, and growing socio-economic inequities.

Yet, it does not have to be this way. The COVID-19 pandemic is also showing that – as a global community – we are becoming better at global collaboration, science sharing, technological innovation, and scaling production of interventions that work. These are highly positive developments on which to build the global vision and value of R&D Equity.

One of the most important but under-recognized developments in the control of the current pandemic is the active participation of middle-income countries in producing and scaling equipment, diagnostics and vaccines. Global health and development have for decades relied overwhelmingly on high-income countries’ expertise, finances and goodwill. This is now being replaced by a new paradigm in which middle-income countries are or are becoming equal partners in the global pandemic response. Thanks to the contributions by China, India, Russia and the potential contributions by many other countries such as the Philippines, South Africa, Mexico, Cuba, Thailand, Senegal and others, control can be much more rapid, effective and equitable for low- and middle-income countries accelerating global pandemic control at the same time. With the political, technical and financial support from high-income countries wishing this development to grow and succeed, meaningful technology transfer may begin to occur.

To build a world that is truly prepared – for everyone – we need to build on these major advancements. The ability of countries and regions to use and share science, use and share research and development, and do so in a spirit of partnership, solidarity and with a view to global impact is what will determine how quickly and effectively future challenges can be prevented and controlled.

A pragmatic conceptualization of a Global R&D Ecosystem opens the doors to purposeful participation by any country, no matter their stage of scientific and economic development. Any country can and should co-create, make improvements and be supported in their efforts to improve their capacity for R&D and towards scaling knowledge and products for equitable responses to any global threat.

R&D Equity is core to achieving the SDG 2030 agenda and essential to pursuing global health, equity and development in the decades to come.

  1. Lessons in Global Preparedness from the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic is far from over and the global response is at a critical phase. Stark contrasts still undermine progress, with vaccine inequity being one of the most urgent and visible issues, posing a threat to ending the pandemic and to global recovery. Over 75% of all vaccine doses have been administered in only 10 countries while the lowest income countries have administered less than half a percent of global doses – at this time.

Why is global R&D Equity necessary for future preparedness?

“A pandemic is not over until it is over everywhere”. 

A major obstacle to pandemic control is that many countries do not possess the R&D institutions, trained human work force, technical and production capabilities and financing facilities – they do not have the capable R&D ecosystems needed for local preparedness and control. As a result, global preparedness fails as well.  Neither global vaccine donations nor ‘temporary IP waivers’ are sufficient nor timely, and neither enable countries to begin solving their own problems – let alone being able to contribute to global pandemic control.

The solution to solving global problems cannot be found in a world returning to its past – in which high-income countries use their expertise, their funding, their approaches and their sense of solidarity to solve the problem for others – and, at the same time, fail to address the fundamental underlying inequities. This cannot remain the model for the future. Low- and Middle-Income Countries have to be active participants in developing their own and the global R&D ecosystems.

A defining feature of the current global preparedness is that national investments in R&D capacity have been the real driver of change. In high-income countries with the investment in basic science leading to the development of mRNA vaccines, and in middle-income countries with their ability to scale production for other low- and middle-income countries.  Without the vaccines and technical support of China, Russia, India and other middle-income countries such as Mexico and South Africa, that have actively invested in the growth and development of their own R&D ecosystems, this pandemic will continue for much longer.

Having capable R&D ecosystems to address their own health, equity and development challenges without having to depend solely on high-income country support is essential for a better, healthier, more equitable and a safer world for everyone.

Global R&D Equity confers a safer future for everyone

Countries with high-performing R&D systems and infrastructure, including local and international partnerships and networks, can use this capability also to address many other global developmental challenges. R&D system growth as a result of COVID-19 pandemic control can be repurposed to address the health, economic, and sustainable development challenges posed by other global pandemics and existential threats– including environmental pollution, climate change, economic inequities and social instability.

The R&D Equity initiative is co-created to become the multi-sectoral platform ready to tackle the challenge of improving global R&D ecosystems as essential for global health, equity and sustainable development.

  1. Global Preparedness – a multitude of actions but no comprehensive global plan for equitable prevention, preparedness and control.

Given the impact on health and well-being, on mental and social health, on the global economy, and even on political relations, the COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a massive mobilisation of national and international efforts to deal with its consequences.

Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of efforts – those focused on ending the current pandemic (COVAX, temporary IP waivers, ACT-A, vaccine diplomacy, mental health interventions) and those focused (also) on preparedness for future pandemics. (The Independent Panel, CEPI, science collaborations, World Economic Forum group). All of these call for massive resource mobilisation for a single problem – pandemic control – without much reference to all the other priority R&D needs facing low- and middle-income countries.

The responses seem similar to control efforts following large epidemics in the recent past, such as Ebola Virus Disease outbreaks in West-Africa: once the epidemic has been brought under control, substantive action stops. If we are to achieve global preparedness and more equitable action in dealing with future global challenges, then much more needs to be done in inter-pandemic periods.

The effectiveness and sustainability of a more equitable global R&D preparedness ecosystem and R&D Equity needs long-term effort, global collaboration and willingness of countries and other actors to commit major financial resources. It needs leadership which must emanate from the countries themselves, not taken over by the traditional global or bi-lateral institutions leading past efforts.

Investments in R&D ecosystem development will only happen if these investments will also contribute to social and economic progress, job creation, reduction of inequities, and mitigation of climate change impact.

R&D Equity implies R&D ecosystem development as an essential link to global preparedness for many other risks to health, well-being, and socio-economic development. The Global R&D Preparedness Ecosystem needs to be inclusive, flexible, responsive, and should create an R&D ecosystem that can be repurposed rapidly, effectively and equitably to deal with new challenges, and at the same time serve as essential components for achieving the SDG 2030 agenda.

Although there are a multitude of national and multilateral initiatives, private sector efforts and non-profit calls to action, there is no shared global vision of global preparedness. R&D Equity aims to fill the gap that exists in the contribution of science and science implementation in the global vision of global preparedness.

  1. R&D Equity – the action agenda

… manufacturing capacity of mRNA and other vaccines must urgently be built in Africa, Latin America and other low- and middle-income regions. Vaccine manufacturing is highly specialized and difficult. Boosting production takes time so enabling it must begin now.

(The Independent Panel report, May 2021, p13)

Comprehensive action is required now to prepare for the future. At this time, there are many ideas, many organizations, many initiatives, many business plans but no obvious coordinator of a concerted, inclusive and global R&D Equity effort.

To achieve success in R&D Equity requires substantive support from many quarters, primarily, but certainly not exclusively, from governments, particularly in low- and middle-income countries themselves.

Effective partnerships with business, academia, science bodies, financiers and philanthropies, and non-profit organisations are essential for success. For this reason, we have to look beyond the usual inter-governmental bodies to realize the full potential of R&D Equity and achieve capable national and global R&D preparedness ecosystems.

Supporting the SDG 2030 Agenda 

Building ‘Global R&D Preparedness Ecosystems’ is a long-term, inclusive, multi-sectoral, generic and resource-intensive effort. It is not one concerted effort but will consist of many different efforts and initiatives at many different levels. Such investments are not realistic, may not be ethical and are unlikely to be sustained if they do not also serve other national and global development goals and priorities at the same time. SDG 2030 compatibility is key to success of R&D Equity and global preparedness.

To guide action towards global R&D equity,  COHRED proposes five core values:

  1. Actions have to be equity focused – within countries and between countries.
  1. Actions have to be deeply collaborative – between public, private and non-profit sectors, between nations, and between science and the general public.
  1. Actions have to include low- and middle-income countries as active and equal players, with explicit roles and responsibilities to contribute to local and global R&D preparedness.
  1. All actors have to consider and use the inter-pandemic and inter-global-challenge periods as essential preparation time for investment and support.
  1. Actions cannot be constructed as another ‘vertical programme’. Effective and equitable global preparedness requires many resources and impacts on so many aspects of societies that it cannot succeed if it is designed as (yet) another ‘vertical programme’. R&D Equity has to be seen as a key input into national and global growth and development, trade, exchange, and technology transfer – in brief – as a major contributor to achieving SDG 2030 Agenda.
R&D Equity Action Agenda

Based on these values, the global R&D Equity initiative should start with a 3-year intensive preparation, planning, mapping and co-creation phase to:

  • Convene the Commission on R&D Equity for Global Preparedness 

-Driven by LMICs with support from other parties interested in working towards equitable global preparedness

-Decide and agree on responsibilities and inclusive decision-making

-COHRED will act as host and incubator – leaving open the organizational options for the future

  • Generate a Global R&D Equity Atlas 

-Define scope and content of R&D ecosystems and R&D Equity

-Map R&D Equity globally – develop agreed indicators

-Provide country- and region-specific data on R&D ecosystem readiness

  • Link R&D Equity to other Global Preparedness efforts and SDG 2030 goals

-Engage other relevant agencies and actors – public, private, non-profit; bilateral and multilateral; regional and global

-Arrange meetings, colloquia, fora, virtual networks

-Build consensus and synergy that supports the growth of R&D ecosystems in low- and middle-income countries, promote tools needed for fair and equitable R&D partnerships

  • Prepare the R&D Equity Programme of Work for a more Equitable Future 

-Present a comprehensive action plan for R&D Equity at the end of 3 years

-Agree on the organisational and financial measures, partners and collaborations to implement the Plan of Work

-Co-design, finance and implement the indicators and monitoring & evaluation, and the organizational infrastructure for regular reporting

  1. Financial and Other Engagements to support the Commission’s work

COHRED will invite countries that are already firmly committed to supporting R&D Equity – nationally, regionally or globally – and are willing to invest time, expertise, diplomatic, political, financial and other resources towards achieving R&D Equity in pursuit of global preparedness.

The founding group will have a membership of 4 countries, of which at least 2 are classified as low- and middle-income countries. 

Ideally, commitments will be made in order to begin preparations for the Commission to begin its work by July 2022.

Expectations of Country Partnership and Contributions

  1. Participating countries will commit to support the Commission on R&D Equity for Global Preparedness as outlined in this document, in writing, to COHRED.
  1. This will include a financial commitment to enable the programme of work of the Commission during the first 3 years.
  • The Commission’s work and operations require that founding countries contribute $1.5 Million for the three year period (i.e. $0.5 million per year).
  • The Commission may decide to change the financial contributions for countries and other parties joining later.
  • To facilitate low-income country participation, self-funding countries and non-state actors interested in supporting the Commission’s work may consider sponsoring the fees for a low-income country interested in participating in the Commission’s work.
  1. As part of their contributions, countries are encouraged to provide technical and non-financial resources needed to achieve the work of the initial three-year programme of work of the Commission – in addition to their financial contribution.
This may include institutional and technical support; it could include staff, offices, meeting support, advocacy and diplomatic efforts, and any other services that may enhance the prestige and impact of the Commission’s work.
  1. Be willing to start by July 2022 or as soon as possible thereafter.
  1. Countries interested in joining the COHRED Board of Directors are welcome to send such expression of interest to the Executive Director. COHRED is open to discuss any suggestions that can strengthen the Commission on R&D Equity for Global Preparedness.
  1. Working with COHRED

The Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED) was established in 1993 as an independent, international non-governmental organisation to support low- and middle-income countries to implement the ‘Essential National Health Research’ (ENHR) strategy. Over the years, COHRED has partnered with many countries that were and are committed to use science for health, equity and development – from the smallest countries, including Cuba, Benin, Vanuatu and Laos PDR, to the largest ones, including Nigeria, Brazil, The Philippines, Thailand and China.

COHRED has progressively widened its focus from the original ENHR strategy. At first, from the Second International Conference on Health Research for Development in Bangkok in 2000, this effort concentrated on supporting the definition and strengthening of ‘national health research systems’ (NHRS).

In subsequent years, COHRED’s initiated the message that ‘health research’ is too limited a concept to really achieve health and that ‘research for health’ should be the new way forward. By 2008, the WHO, COHRED and the Global Forum on Health Research had teamed up with Mali to deliver this message loud and clear during the Bamako Forum on Research for Health in 2008. Since then, COHRED has been engaging with research systems in many low- and middle-income countries, on request, to work on national research system development that could address health, equity and socio-economic development.

Most recently, COHRED developed the prime global tool to create transparency in and learning for fairness in global research partnerships involving low- and middle-income countries – the Research Fairness Initiative (RFI). The RFI is also intended as a very pragmatic instrument to operationalize SDG 17 (“Partnership for the SDGs”).

COHRED is not a funder; rather it receives funding from bilateral and multi-lateral agencies, philanthropies, regional organizations, and from selected businesses for specific projects. User fees for some of its services has supported its revenue generation. COHRED remains independent of sectoral, political or other interests.  COHRED’s approach has always been one of ‘inclusiveness’ of all partners, consultation, co-design and co-creation, and – as a result – COHRED is seen by many in low- and middle-income countries as a trusted partner.

Structurally, COHRED is an Association under Swiss Law in the Canton of Geneva and is recognized as a ‘non-State Actor in official relations with the WHO’. It also holds observer status with WIPO, the World Intellectual Property Organization. It has an affiliate organization based in the State of Delaware in the USA (COHRED USA). The Global Forum for Health Research merged into COHRED in 2011 – providing substantive institutional capabilities and memory of hosting global meetings, large and small.

The Board and Management of COHRED believe that with its unique focus on research system capacity support for low- and middle-income countries since 1993, its engagement with many governments – research organizations and businesses – non-profit organizations – bilateral and philanthropic funders over more than 25 years, as well as its continued international and independent organizational and financing model, COHRED offers the best organizational basis to host and incubate the R&D Equity initiative and platform. This enables all future organizational options to remain open, including creating an organizational framework outside COHRED.

 

Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED)

1-5 route des Morillons 1211, Geneva 2, Switzerland

www.cohred.org

 

——-

Appendix

Key Reference Documents

A New Commitment for Vaccine Equity and Defeating the Pandemic. (“Investing US$ 50 billion to end the pandemic is potentially the best use of public money we will see in our lifetimes”). Kristalina Georgieva (IMF), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (WHO), David Malpass (World Bank Group), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (WTO). World Health Organization, Newsroom. 31 May 2021.

Advancing Epidemics R&D to keep up with a changing world: progress, challenges and opportunities. Wellcome Trust. 12 August 2019.

African countries must muscle up their support and fill massive R&D gap. Janet Midega, Catherine Kyobutungi, Emelda Okiro, Fredros Okumu, Ifeyinwa Aniebo, Ngozi Erondu. The Conversation. 18 May 2021. 

Audit of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the Financial Year ended 31 December 2020. Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. 17 May 2021. 

China’s International Development Cooperation in the New Era. The State Council Information Office of the People’s Republic of China. January 2021.

COVID-19: Collaboration is the engine of global science – especially for developing countries. Kituyi M. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/05/global-science-collaboration-open-source-covid-19/. 15 May 2020/

COVID-19: make it the last pandemic. The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response. May 2021.

COVID-19 preparedness: capacity to manufacture vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics in sub-Saharan Africa. Bisi B, Chinedum PB, Sam-Agudu NA, et al. BMC Globalization and Health. 2021.

Covid-19 Research And Innovation Achievements. WHO. R&D Blueprint. April 2021.

Definitions of Research and Development: An Annotated Compilation of Official Sources. National Science Foundation (USA). March 2018

DOST, DOH to probe vaccine mixed-dose approach. Philippine Council for Health Research and Development. https://www.pchrd.dost.gov.ph/news/6678-dost-doh-to-probe-vaccine-mixed-dose-approach. 31 May 2021.

Fair Research Contracting (FRC). https://frcweb.cohred.org

France and development research. https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/french-foreign-policy/scientific-diplomacy/france-and-development-research/. Accessed June 2021

France to help Africa boost Covid-19 vaccine production, Macron says. France 24. 28 May 2021. https://f24.my/7hn7

G7 must bear the burden of vaccinating the world. Time is short if the battle against Covid-19 is to be won and the economic gains realised. Gordon Brown. Opinion Covid-19 vaccines. Financial Times 22 May 2021.

Health Research. Essential link to equity in development. Commission on Health Research for Development. Oxford University Press, 1990. http://www.cohred.org/publications/open-archive/1990-commission-report/

New Partnership To Boost Africa’s Vaccine Research, Development And Manufacturing. Health Policy Watch. 15 April 2021.

Outbreak Readiness and Business Impact. Protecting Lives and Livelihoods across the Global Economy. World Economic Forum. 2019.

Overcoming gaps to advance global health equity: a symposium on new directions for research. Frenk J, Chen L. Health Research Policy and Systems. 2011.

Post-pandemic transformations: How and why COVID-19 requires us to rethink development. Leach M, MacGregor H, Scoones I, Wilkinson A. World Development. 16 October 2020.

Priorities for COVID-19 research response and preparedness in low-resource settings. GLOPiD-R Secretariat. Lancet 22 May 2021.

Prioritizing Financing Systems for Pandemic Preparedness? Carel IJsselmuiden, Francine Ntoumi, James V Lavery, Jaime Montoya, Salim Abdool Karim, Kirsty Kaiser. Lancet 2021, July 31; 398: 388.

Research Fairness Initiative (RFI). https://rfi.cohred.org

Restoring Vaccine Diplomacy. Hotez PJ, Narayan KMV. J American Medical Assocation (published online). 28 May 2021

South Africa and the Global South’s battle for Covid-19 vaccine justice. ‘The loss of humanity’. Karrim A. https://www.news24.com/news24/opinions/fridaybriefing/the-big-picture-the-loss-of-humanity-south-africa-and-the-global-souths-battle-for-covid-19-vaccine-justice-20210304 News24. 4 March 2021.

Swiss Health Foreign Policy 2019-2024. Swiss Federal Council. 15 May 2019.

The Collapse of Global Cooperation under the WHO International Health Regulations at the Outset of COVID-19: Sculpting the Future of Global Health Governance. Taylor AL, Habibi R. ASIL Insights. The American Society of International Law. 5 June 2020.

The COVID vaccine pioneer behind southeast Asia’s first mRNA shot. Nature. 26 May 2021.

The Neglected Dimension of Global Security: A Framework to Counter Infectious Disease Crises. Commission on a Global Health Risk Framework for the Future. National Academy of Sciences (USA). 2016.

The R&D Preparedness Ecosystem: Preparedness for Health Emergencies Report to the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board. Keusch GT, Lurie N. US National Academy of Medicine. 9 August 2020.

UN chief calls for a global partnership to address COVID, climate change and achieve SDG’s. UN News. 30 May 2021. https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/05/1093052)

Urgent lessons from COVID 19: why the world needs a standing, coordinated system and sustainable financing for global research and development. Lurie N, Keusch GT, Dzau VJ. Lancet. 9 March 2021.

Wanted: trusted rules for emergency data access. Editorial. Nature 3 June 2021; Vol 594, 8.

 

Abbreviations & terms

ACT-A                   Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator

CEPI                     Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations

COHRED             Council on Health Research for Development

COVAX Facility    COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility

COVID-19            Corona Virus Disease

FRC                      Fair Research Contracting

GLOPID-R           Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness

IMF                       International Monetary Fund

IPR                       Intellectual Property Right(s)

R&D                      Research & Development, Research and Development

RFI                        Research Fairness Initiative

SDG 2030            Sustainable Development Goals (2030 Agenda)

WHA                     World Health Assembly

WHO                    World Health Organization

WIPO                    World Intellectual Property Organization

WTO                     World Trade Organization

 

—-

By COHRED recently on PEAH

Fair Research Contracting – Key to Promoting Solidarity for Science and Development in a post-COVID-19 World by Carel IJsselmuiden, Kirsty Kaiser, Abigail Wilkinson, Farirai Mutenherwa 

Fair Research Partnerships in European Commission Funded Research by Carel IJsselmuiden and Kirsty Klipp


 

News Flash 455: Weekly Snapshot of Public Health Challenges

News Flash Links, as part of the research project PEAH (Policies for Equitable Access to Health), aim to focus on the latest challenges by trade and governments rules to equitable access to health in resource-limited settings

News Flash 455

Weekly Snapshot of Public Health Challenges

 

Emerging Voices for Global Health 2022: Call for Application

Health Brief: One Health, One Earth

COP26: Agreement Satisfies Few, but Is Seen As Only Way Forward

Glasgow Summit Ends Amidst Climate of Disappointment

EU invests over €1 billion in innovative projects to decarbonise the economy

European Green Deal: Commission adopts new proposals to stop deforestation, innovate sustainable waste management and make soils healthy for people, nature and climate

How India Is Undermining Climate Change Pact

Politicians Subsidise Fossil Fuel with Six Trillion Dollars in Just One Year

For Kenya’s pastoralists, COP26 promises come too little, too late

Developing countries ‘deeply frustrated’ by COP26 outcome

COP26 May Have Caused Despair, But Millions Caught in Climate Crises Face Serious Mental Health Challenges

COP26: EU helps deliver outcome to keep the Paris Agreement targets alive

What Governments Should Learn from The Climate Activists

Strengthening WHO for Future Health Emergencies while Battling COVID-19: Major Outcomes of the 2021 World Health Assembly

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Weekly Update

Nearly 8 Million Covid-19 Recoveries Across Africa

Registration for the launch of G2H2 report “The politics of a WHO pandemic treaty in a disenchanted world”, Geneva 24 November 2021, 13:30-15.00 hrs CET

Attend: Launch of G2H2 report “The politics of a WHO pandemic treaty in a disenchanted world”

Pfizer agrees to let other companies make its COVID-19 pill

MSF response to license between Pfizer and Medicines Patent Pool for new COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid

Pfizer seeks emergency use authorization for Covid-19 antiviral pill

EMA receives application for conditional marketing authorisation of Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine, Nuvaxovid

Outcomes for Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients Taking Immunosuppressive Medications Similar to Non-Immunosuppressed Patients

Dexamethasone modulates immature neutrophils and interferon programming in severe COVID-19

Putting people before profits: Should IP rights on COVID-19 vaccines be waived?

Why I’m Embarrassed to Receive a COVID Booster

Why Covid-19 Misinformation Works

WTO Finished Without TRIPS Waiver

Oxford University team launches human trials of Ebola vaccine

Global Tobacco Use Declines, But Information About e-Cigarette Use is Lacking

New Investment Funds of $75 Million Should Support More Tobacco Control Measures in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

One Death Every Two Minutes from Cervical Cancer – and Vaccination Trends Moving in Wrong Direction

EU has more work to do for human rights and tolerance

 

 

 

 

News Flash 454: Weekly Snapshot of Public Health Challenges

News Flash Links, as part of the research project PEAH (Policies for Equitable Access to Health), aim to focus on the latest challenges by trade and governments rules to equitable access to health in resource-limited settings

News Flash 454

Weekly Snapshot of Public Health Challenges

 

Webinar registration: Global civil society workshop on public services Nov 30, 2021 01:00 PM in Universal Time UTC

Webinar registration: Digital Colonialism: A Discussion Dec 2, 2021 03:00 PM in Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Weekly Update

International organizations, vaccine manufacturers take stock of COVID-19 vaccine roll out, share views for 2022

Coronavirus: Commission approves contract with Valneva to secure a new potential vaccine

Call for Applications | Online course on “The Struggle for Health and Access to Covid-19 Medical Products” Three-week course starting from December 1, 2021 Last date to apply is November 12, 2021

Online event 23 November 2021: Launch of the book The Politics of Making Vaccines

COVID-19: EMA recommends authorisation of two monoclonal antibody medicines

COVID-19: EMA and Heads of Medicines Agencies update on molnupiravir

Supercharging New Viral Variants: The Dangers Of Molnupiravir (Part 1)

Harming Those Who Receive It: The Dangers Of Molnupiravir (Part 2)

New Report Predicts 2.4°C Warming as COP26 Negotiators Race to Reach Climate Agreement – ‘Health’ Missing from Draft

Climate Justice and Health Equity: International Conference on Climate Emergency and Health Tuesday 23 November 2021 – online Wednesday 24 November 2021 – online and at the ITM, Campus Rochus, Antwerp

COP26: Today’s Outcomes

COP26 online

COP26 live: SciDev.Net reports from UN climate talks

ODI: Our thoughts on COP26 – Rolling insight

Tackling the Root Causes of Climate Change. If Not Now, WHEN? by George Lueddeke 

BREAKING THE TABOO: WHY DIETS MUST CHANGE TO TACKLE CLIMATE EMERGENCY

COP26: Climate Action in Agribusiness Could Reduce Emissions by up to 7 per Cent

Fifty Countries Commit to ‘greening’ their healthcare systems at COP26

‘Greenwashing’ fears hang over COP26 pledges

Health Impacts of Climate Change Grab Eyeballs at COP26, But Lack of Finance Continues to be Major Issue

Climate Finance Is the Elephant in the Room at COP26

UN and partners launch climate-focused ETF

COP26 action on fossils undermined by corporate courts

Zero emission vehicle declaration disappoints as manufacturers, countries abstain

Reforming IMF Conditionality to Help Boost Social Spending

Caring For Profit: A new research project by the European Network of Corporate Observatories explores the privatisation of hospitals and nursing homes in Europe

Tinnitus: is It a Lifelong Companion / a Foe for Life or does It have a Promising Future? by Tanushree Mondal

WHO, UNICEF launch new polio vaccination campaign in Afghanistan

Global progress against measles threatened amidst COVID-19 pandemic

 

 

 

 

Tinnitus: is It a Lifelong Companion / a Foe for Life or does It have a Promising Future?

Tinnitus is when one experiences ringing or other noises in one or both of his/her ears. It affects about 15% to 20% of people, and is especially common in old age. It is very startling that apart from avoiding the reasons causing tinnitus, there is no actual permanent cure. When science has progressed to such dimensions as Artificial Intelligence and Robotics and Tele-surgeries, then why do we fail to comfort our own people on this beautiful planet?

By Dr Tanushree Mondal

Associate Professor and Deputy Director of Medical Education

Government of West Bengal, India 

Tinnitus: is It a Lifelong Companion / a Foe for Life or does It have a Promising Future?

 

It is said that humans are the greatest creation of God and that humans through their intelligence can master over the world, alleviate the sufferings, reduce the mortality rates, bring in new innovations and scientific fest. In this era of rockets where the wealthy entrepreneurs invest in large fortunes in order to sky rocket one to space, it is a sad story that yet we have no scientific cure for a very common disease haunting a large portion of the world, Tinnitus.

Tinnitus is when one experiences ringing or other noises in one or both of his/her ears. The noise one hears when one has tinnitus isn’t caused by an external sound, and other people usually can’t hear it. It affects about 15% to 20% of people, and is especially common in old age. It also is a common manifestation of people who underwent chemoradiation therapies as a result of head and neck carcinomas, oropharyngeal carcinomas, nasopharyngeal carcinomas and so on. Moreover, it is also found in benign tumors, due to long –standing use of few drugs like quinine, antidepressants, aspirin, loop diuretics, Meniere’s disease, in otosclerosis, in certain metabolic disorders like diabetes mellitus, autoimmune diseases and in TMJ syndrome.

The etiology varies from person to person, and is a wide gamut in itself. In some cases, prolonged exposure to loud sounds is one of the common causes of tinnitus. Up to 90% of people with tinnitus have some level of noise-induced hearing loss that causes permanent damage to the sound-sensitive cells of the cochlea, a spiral-shaped organ in the inner ear.

                                                                                  Ref (1)

                                                 

                                                                                  Ref (2)

It is noteworthy that few professionals like the carpenters, pilots, rock musicians, street-repair workers, and landscapers are at high risk to develop this incurable disease.

It is the sensation of hearing ringing, buzzing, hissing, chirping, whistling, or different kinds of sounds. And the noise can be intermittent or continuous, and vary in loudness. Tinnitus is often worse when background noise is low, so one may be most aware of it at night when one is trying to fall asleep in a quiet room which can be very distressful. In rare cases, the sound beats in sync with the beat of the heart which is termed as pulsatile tinnitus.

Ref (3)

The progress of the disease is quite drastic, sometimes unilateral to start with, which may often turn bi-lateral and the severity also increases with the passage of the days so much so, that one is really incapacitated and it worsens one’s quality of life leading one to the verge of suicidal attempts. One such narrative from a patient with tinnitus in the Caribbean Islands referred to as “spending his whole fortune for the hope of a permanent relief and letting him rest in peace at night.”

In another research study, few patients were interviewed and one of them was Karin. (4) The tone of Karin’s narrative was pessimistic, although she demonstrated an urge to solve her problems besides tinnitus and noise intolerance. She started out trying to fulfill the needs of others but found that this way of life made her vulnerable and ended in a mental breakdown. The structure of her narrative is regressive and somewhat tragic as she experienced a number of obstacles to stabilizing her life. Trying to drive her own business resulted in failure several times. An uncertain work situation seemed to influence her emotional reactions to both loud sounds and tinnitus. As a teacher in music, she experienced a worsening of tinnitus after giving several days of music lessons, also making her more concerned about her hearing. Karin stopped playing the guitar for some time, as tinnitus made her play out of tune. When standing in a gathering with people she had difficulties coping with noise or loud voices. Often it forced her to leave the place, because she didn’t know “what to do.” When tinnitus was exhausting, it often led to headaches and vertigo. During an interview, Karin brought up memories of a passed long-term depression, a condition that she worried she could experience again. Tinnitus had an impact on her patience, and it became more intense when she felt frustrated. The theme in the narrative seemed to be a struggle to reach what she wished to obtain for her future life.

This condition can worsen in some people if they take alcohol, smoke cigarettes or drink caffeinated products. For reasons not yet entirely clear to researchers, stress and fatigue seem to worsen tinnitus.

All that we have as treatment in our platter are the hearing aids which have practically no permanent solution, sound maskers, retraining therapy, some handful relaxation techniques and few medicines as hormones, anti-anxiety drugs and topical anesthetics.

It is very startling that apart from avoiding the reasons causing this tinnitus, there is no actual permanent cure. When science has progressed to such dimensions as Artificial Intelligence and Robotics and Tele-surgeries, then why do we fail to comfort our own people on this beautiful planet? Is it not amazing that when so many people worldwide are suffering from this painful disorder, scientists are blowing their minds and harping on a lot of funds on things that are practically of no human benefit on this Earth. Have we, the scientific fraternity ever asked ourselves why this big lacuna exists in our medical world which is just a shameful affair? Had we done this fruitful exercise, we could have been successful in bringing smiles to many innocent faces. Is the scientific world still pondering or are they geared up to really bring a big change in the upcoming years? Let this food for thought carry us to the point when we will find a permanent cure and declare that all human beings can live and sleep peacefully, and then only can we sing like the legendary Pop star Michael Jackson…..Heal the World,  make it a better place, For you and  me, and the entire Human race.

 

Ref:

  1. https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mayoclinic.org%2Fdiseases-conditions%2Ftinnitus%2Fsymptoms-causes%2Fsyc-20350156&psig=AOvVaw2zQM_hyNM1FYIIiaTONYNk&ust=1636483921944000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCLiJgfK3ifQCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAP
  2. https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F9%2F2017%2F05%2Ftinnitus.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org%2Feye-ent%2Fhearing%2Fconditions%2Fhearing-loss-tinnitus%2F&tbnid=C3iWr2QGIwXb1M&vet=12ahUKEwj4-Ybot4n0AhWGkksFHeQTDvQQMygFegUIARDUAQ..i&docid=FwLnhlHBWKD45M&w=500&h=435&q=tinnitus&ved=2ahUKEwj4-Ybot4n0AhWGkksFHeQTDvQQMygFegUIARDUAQ
  3. https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthyhearing.com%2Fuploads%2Fimages%2FWhat-does-tinnitus-sound-like-hh19.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthyhearing.com%2Fhelp%2Ftinnitus%2Fsymptoms&tbnid=c5CnMH2Q1SN9EM&vet=12ahUKEwj4-Ybot4n0AhWGkksFHeQTDvQQMygDegUIARDPAQ..i&docid=NIWE3RSfKRGM1M&w=800&h=672&q=tinnitus&ved=2ahUKEwj4-Ybot4n0AhWGkksFHeQTDvQQMygDegUIARDPAQ
  1. Erlandsson SI-M, Lundin L and Dauman N (2020) The Experience of Tinnitus and Its Interaction with Unique Life Histories—Life Events, Trauma and Inner Resources Narrated by Patients With Tinnitus. Front. Psychiatry 11:136.

 

________________

By the same Author recently on PEAH

Contributions From APAN During Disasters

 Covid-19 VIRAT and VRAF Country Assessment Tool: The Need of the Hour

Tackling the Root Causes of Climate Change. If Not Now, WHEN?

PEAH is honored to post here a PP presentation, Tackling the Root Causes of Climate Change. If Not Now, WHEN?,  given on 7 November 2021 at a COP26 fringe event in Glasgow by our acknowledged partner Dr. George Lueddeke, Global Lead International One Health for One Planet Education & Trandisciplinarity Initiative (1 HOPE-TDI)

LUEDDEKE 07.11.2021 FINAL (r) COP26 Glasgow Presentation slides

By George Lueddeke

Global Lead International One Health for One Planet Education & Trandisciplinarity Initiative (1 HOPE-TDI)

 

PEAH definitely aligns with the contents of Lueddeke’s presentation and cannot think of a more crucial theme at this time of continuing global upheaval and uncertainty (confusion?).

Inherently, let us annotate that, as maintained  by Tracy Collins, founder at The Island Retreat, County Cork, Ireland ‘…When we accept that humankind is part of something bigger, then the world will be a better place. Our natural world is not there to provide us with unlimited resources…it really is time to start learning to respect it…’

This ties to awareness, even more stringent under still rampant Covid-19 pandemic scenario, thatpublic health experts need to look at the establishment of animal health care and the strengthening of an ecosystem where human and animal will live congruently to protect human health. This integrated, holistic and harmonious approach to protecting human health is referred to as one world one health, a name coined by the wildlife conservation society. A better understanding of the ecosystem is needed to protect public health’. 

In a nutshell, humankind is required, at government, corporate and civil society levels, to set green economy in motion first, while managing to curb inequalities and inequities throughout poor and rich nations. Echoing George Lueddeke’s words‘The greatest challenge in our path to building more equal, inclusive and sustainable economies and societies, underscored in Survival: One Health, One Planet, One Future, lies with making a fundamental paradigm or mindshift  from seeing the world through a strictly  human-centric lens to taking a wider more inclusive eco-centric view – ensuring the needs of humans are compatible with the needs of our ecosystems.’

 

—————————-

By George Lueddeke recently on PEAH

Commentary on ‘More for The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) – Impakter’

Rebuilding Trust and Compassion in a Covid-19 World

The University in the early Decades of the Third Millennium: Saving the World from itself?

The World at Risk: Covid-19, Global Sustainability and 1 HOPE

Postscript – The World at Risk: Covid-19, Global Sustainability and 1 HOPE

On this theme, see also

INTERVIEW – ‘Survival: One Health, One Planet, One Future’ – Routledge, 1st edition, 2019

News Flash 453: Weekly Snapshot of Public Health Challenges

News Flash Links, as part of the research project PEAH (Policies for Equitable Access to Health), aim to focus on the latest challenges by trade and governments rules to equitable access to health in resource-limited settings

News Flash 453

Weekly Snapshot of Public Health Challenges

 

Meeting registration: Online Seminar on a Pandemic Treaty Nov 5, 2021 02:00 PM in Brussels

G20 Disappoints on COVID-19 and Climate Crisis, Setting Stage for Non-Action at COP26

G20 ROME LEADERS’ DECLARATION

Working group on strengthening WHO preparedness and response to health emergencies1-3 November 2021

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Weekly Update

Global COVID-19 Deaths: 5 Million and Counting

The Collateral Health Impacts of COVID-19: a Disproportionate Impact on Girls and Women

As Indonesia greenlights Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine, Company Expects More Countries to Follow

WHO issues emergency use listing for eighth COVID-19 vaccine

Interim guidance for use of the Bharat BBV152 Covaxin vaccine published

Takeda eyeing early 2022 rollout of Novavax’s COVID-19 shot in Japan – CEO

As Moderna releases astronomical Q3 sales figures, MSF tells the corporation it’s high time to share the technology with WHO mRNA vaccine tech transfer Hub in South Africa

EMA ends rolling review of the antibodies bamlanivimab and etesevimab for COVID-19 following withdrawal by Lilly

Antivirals and the Covid Treatment Landscape

WHO: Public health round-up

Watch live: Full coverage of the COP26 summit

COP26 live: SciDev.Net reports from UN climate talks

ODI: Our thoughts on COP26 – Rolling insight

A COP26 reading list: Ten humanitarian takes on the climate crisis

Global South observers ‘blocked from COP26 negotiations’

How to make climate and trade policy work together for the most vulnerable countries

EIB sets 15% climate adaptation target by 2025

‘Put a price on carbon, nature cannot pay,’ EU’s von der Leyen tells COP26

COP26: Cinq entreprises de l’énergie réclament 18 milliards de dollars aux Etats en raison de leurs politiques climatiques

Health System Sustainability Centers: A Prescription For Climate Catastrophe

Russia adopts long-term climate strategy, rejects US criticism

There are no safe levels for air pollutants: bold actions from policymakers are needed

The Lancet Countdown: policy recommendations to protect health from climate change

COP26: The Many Links Between Food Systems & Climate Change: Message to Glasgow

Will Glasgow Fix Broken Climate Finance Promises?

Climate change extremes spur U.N. plan to fund weather forecasting

‘No Green Deal without digital,’ EU official says

Register: The People’s Health Hearing: Health Justice means Climate Justice- 7th November ’21 (Sunday)

Online Meeting -Towards a childhood free from unhealthy food marketing: Exploring the next frontier for European action 9 November 2021 15:00 through 16:30 in Brussels