Francis Sarr
In responding to the Covid-19 pandemic, states, institutions and organisations worldwide have been working on different ways of dealing with the pandemic. Even so, at the beginning of the pandemic, while some countries acted early and fast, others acted too little too late. There was little or no coordination and collaboration between countries, even between states in one country. At the same time there were misconceptions, myths, scams, conspiracies, accusations, verbal insults and attacks, and refusals to comply with guidelines and restrictions designed to halt the spread of the virus, such as stay-at-home orders. All these were related to the difficulties of taking effective public health measures to deal with the outbreak. The confusion and disorderliness deepened as governments, public health institutions and agencies explored several technologies and introduced economic safety nets such as stimulus packages to help families, industries and laid-off workers, with new interventions or actions emerging every day or week. Such measures confronted governments, especially those of developing countries, at a time of continued budgetary constraints. Added to this dilemma was the growing shortage of needed equipment, materials and treatments, as health care systems were overwhelmed as a result of the increasing spread of the virus and the growing number of patients needing critical care. Many health workers have been infected with the virus while caring for patients, and many have died as a result, at a time when they were most needed. This book argues that current states of confusions and disorderliness on policymaking concerning the coronavirus pandemic exist partly because of different understandings of the limited role of evidence in the policy-making process and the importance of other factors in such a process. The book consists of nine chapters. Chapter 1 deals with the Covid-19 disease. Chapter 2 looks at the concept of public health for it is within public health systems the discussion is centred. Chapter 3 considers the concepts of evidence and other factors informing and influencing public health policy-making. Chapters 2 and 3 provide understanding of the concepts of public health and evidence and other factors and their use in public health policy, outlining related sources of confusion and disorderliness for public health policy-making. Chapters 4 to 8 cover the five other factors, describing for each function and role in public health policymaking, as well as the confusion and disorderliness in policy making associated with the factors. Chapter 9 is the conclusion.
