Dear Be-cause health members,
We live in complex times. Many of us are directly involved in activities related to the (consequences of) the Covid-19 epidemic. New waves of the pandemic strike in many countries with new variants of the virus. HICs are still hit very hard, but the exceptional position of Africa is being threatened as well now.
Vaccination is the other hot topic for the moment. Securing high number of vaccine doses and closing deals with manufacturers occupy the forefront of news sites. COVAX, CDC Africa, Chinese, Russian, Indian and EU vaccine diplomacy are common headlines.
To cite Hans Kluge, Director of WHO Europe: Be it vaccine allocation and prioritization, access to medical supplies and tests, or public health measures and policies to control the pandemic, we have a responsibility to base decisions on the core values that are at the heart of humanity: solidarity, equity and social justice. It is the only way out of these uncertain times because no one is safe until everyone is safe.
People express more and more concern about the economic and social consequences of containment measures. Still, we all have the same goal of helping to contain the epidemic, improving/maintaining population health, and/or keeping populations and health staff healthy and safe. New stringent measures are in the making in HICs. It is likely that Africa will (have to) follow suit again.
We invite you to share (becausehealth@itg.be) documents, analyses, technical information, etc… that you consider useful for yourself and other Be-cause health members. We are particularly interested in information related to concrete Covid-19 policies, interventions and other initiatives & strategies taken in specific countries. We are sure this type of exchanges can be beneficial to all.
Your information, experiences, questions and proposals will be centralised and structured on the Be-cause health COVID-19 webpage.
Thank you in advance for your input.
Elies Van Belle, Chair
Xavier de Béthune, Coordinator a.i.
