Global Health Crisis – Pre-COVID And Post-COVID
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Upon attending the 2019 Global Health Event, I gained a new perspective when it came to one’s health and life, in general. I heard of this activity last year since I was studying at the University of Oslo. Some students said that there would be doctors and some genius specialists on cellular biology who would be speaking in one of the halls. They even said that it was a free event and that lunch, snacks, and materials for reading will be provided. For me, it is a go! Any science event with freebies, especially free lunch at that I would attend.
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I went there and registered like any regular summit or conference. But here was the real deal. The theme last time was Global Health Inspiration Days 2019, and the hosts have been doing that event since 2016. It is a collaboration between the Centre for Global Health, Boston University, and the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO). The whole event took two days. And true enough, there were doctors and specialists there. Lunch was also free, and it was really good. We also had coffee breaks, and it was free too! What made me stay was not a free lunch or coffee. It was the fact that I am human, and my life is important to me – save your health, save your life.
Global health is a pending and grave issue. It is a wider version of being healthy, not just for yourself but for the millions of people worldwide. As a physical and mental health advocate, this issue is relevant for me, especially now that we are facing a very challenging time. When we say health, it does not mean just our physical state or the nutrients that our body needs. It is the stability of one’s physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social state.
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For me, global health is a relevant issue that world leaders should not take for granted. As one can see, viruses and bacteria don’t need a passport to travel from one country to another. Maybe there comes the point in our lives that we feel we are on top of the world, that we can do whatever it is that we want to do. But in the next few months or maybe years, we are already in a hospital complaining of whatever it is that hinders us from doing things that we want to accomplish. And without knowing, the virus that may hit us may also hit others like the effects of COVID-19. And I want to discuss this a bit further.
COVID-19 is a plague. That is how I see it. This disease has no known cure, as of yet, and while there may be some experimental tests going on, the future of lifting this lockdown soon is bleak. We are all afraid to get this disease, and it’s as if the Four Horsemen has come to this Earth and wreaked havoc through China. This is a worldwide health issue because, until now, people who contract this disease can either be asymptomatic or hit hard and crash. Some people do not show symptoms at all, but they are positive. There are some, very unfortunate, who contract this plague, this act of pestilence, and they suffer for weeks immensely before recovery. Some do not even recover at all. This is a health issue that needs to be addressed, and for months now, our leaders and scientists can only speculate.
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There is no better issue to be addressed, but health should come first. Not business, and certainly not money when during a pandemic. Again, we cannot do what we want to do if our environment will render our bodies weak. Business is nothing when there are no people to do business with after this global health crisis.
And there is the issue of our health workers contracting the disease, and also dying. They do not have enough protective equipment as they handle patients with COVID-19. People working in the medical field should be given attention and also given enough compensation for the work that they do. They are saving mankind from extinction. People should also know that whatever plan we have for ourselves, for our community, for our country or the world, we really can’t do it if we are not in good health because as what the famous cliché goes, “health is wealth.” At this time, everyone must prioritize being healthy so we can all bounce back after this.
Nobody was able to discuss a pandemic-like sickness during the 2019 conference. Thousands have already in just a few short months, and at first, people were not aggressive. They did not even mind the news when COVID-19 broke in Wuhan, China. Like how they go on with their lives, people just seem to overlook health issues. Now, can God tell us, “I told you so,” It is no easy thing we are experiencing today, but I am hopeful. I do like to be present in the next Global Health Inspiration Days, and I am sure the doctors and the specialists will be more learned, having experienced this pandemic.
Legal issues? I guess no one would be interested in filing suits against China for their neglectful ways.