COVID‑19 at the Community Level: What are the Countermeasures?

Although several efforts have been implemented to prevent and control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) pandemic at the population level, varying outcomes have been reported in several quarters, despite the implementation of socio‑behavioral methods commonly at the population level to stop the human‑to‑human transmission. We did a narrative review of relevant articles of identified countermeasures at the population level, for curbing the COVID‑19 pandemic. The key fi ndings were evidence measures such as physical distancing, quarantine, isolation, screening, active case detection, and risk communication if properly implemented. Other countermeasures identified were air disinfection and lockdown restrictions. Air disinfection has a potentially harmful effect on humans, while lockdown restrictions have been counterproductive in many settings. In  conclusion, many of these public health measures are with peculiarities and needs to be contextualized to be effective in curbing the pandemic. Further research and regular assessments are needed on the countermeasures. Keywords: Coronavirus disease 2019, pandemic, prevention, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus

Beyond the number, balancing epidemiological reporting with the need for patient empathy during the COVID-19 pandemic

The global emergence of SARS-CoV-2 infection has led to the strengthening of the capacity and organization of public health institutions in rolling out daily statistical data [30]. However, ER doesn’t have any empathetic component to assist in the planning of actions to address pandemics; the literature has shown direct or indirect negative effects of epidemiological reporting and subsequent measures [30, 31, 32, 33, 34]. Indirect consequences of ER on patient empathy could stem from strict adherence to COVID-19 control measures and its negative effect on mental health. For instance, patients might get relatively limited empathy as a result of healthcare pro- fessionals over-reliance on Telemedicine in response to ER guidance or healthcare professionals fear invasive medical procedures due to misinterpreting ER guidance [35]. ER has been found to have led to the isolation of the elderly from their support systems which could have negative outcomes related to physical injuries or mental health conditions such as depression [36, 37]. There is a need for ER to have a component that addresses empathy in its reporting. This component will hopefully address the inclusion of empathy in the plans or activities of governments, institutions and healthcare professionals utilize to address health challenges

Integrating Youth Perspectives: Adopting a Human Rights and Public Health Approach to Climate Action

Climate change is a multidimensional issue that affects all aspects of society, including public health and human rights. Climate change is already severely impacting people’s health and threatening people’s guaranteed fundamental rights, including those to life, health, self-determination, and education, among others. Across geographical regions, population groups and communities who are already marginalized due to age, gender, ethnicity, income, and other socioeconomic factors, are those who are disproportionately affected by climate impacts despite having contributed the least to global emissions. Although scholars have been calling for a human rights-based approach and a health perspective to climate action, the literature looking at this multidisciplinary intersection is still nascent, and governments have yet to implement such intersectoral policies. This commentary begins to reflect on the relationship between climate change, human rights, and public health from the perspective of young people engaged in climate action and discourse at the national and international levels. It presents a way forward on what we, as youth climate advocates and researchers, believe is a priority to bring intersectoral integration of human rights and public health approaches to climate change to fruition. First, scholars and practitioners should examine and support youth-led climate interventions that tackle human rights and public health violations incurred by the climate crisis. Second, participatory approaches to climate change must be designed by working synergistically with climate-vulnerable groups, including children and young people, practitioners and scholars in public health and human rights sectors to holistically address the social, health, and environmental impacts of the climate crisis and root causes of injustice. Finally, we recommend more holistic data collection to better inform evidence-based climate policies that operationalize human rights and public health co-benefits

Integrating Youth Perspectives: Adopting a Human Rights and Public Health Approach to Climate Action.

Climate change is a multidimensional issue that affects all aspects of society, including public health and human rights. Climate change is already severely impacting people's health and threatening people's guaranteed fundamental rights, including those to life, health, self-determination, and education, among others. Across geographical regions, population groups and communities who are already marginalized due to age, gender, ethnicity, income, and other socioeconomic factors, are those who are disproportionately affected by climate impacts despite having contributed the least to global emissions. Although scholars have been calling for a human rights-based approach and a health perspective to climate action, the literature looking at this multidisciplinary intersection is still nascent, and governments have yet to implement such intersectoral policies. This commentary begins to reflect on the relationship between climate change, human rights, and public health from the perspective of young people engaged in climate action and discourse at the national and international levels. It presents a way forward on what we, as youth climate advocates and researchers, believe is a priority to bring intersectoral integration of human rights and public health approaches to climate change to fruition. First, scholars and practitioners should examine and support youth-led climate interventions that tackle human rights and public health violations incurred by the climate crisis. Second, participatory approaches to climate change must be designed by working synergistically with climate-vulnerable groups, including children and young people, practitioners and scholars in public health and human rights sectors to holistically address the social, health, and environmental impacts of the climate crisis and root causes of injustice. Finally, we recommend more holistic data collection to better inform evidence-based climate policies that operationalize human rights and public health co-benefits

Integrating Youth Perspectives: Adopting a Human Rights and Public Health Approach to Climate Action

Climate change is a multidimensional issue that affects all aspects of society, including public health and human rights. Climate change is already severely impacting people’s health and threatening people’s guaranteed fundamental rights, including those to life, health, self-determination, and education, among others. Across geographical regions, population groups and communities who are already marginalized due to age, gender, ethnicity, income, and other socioeconomic factors, are those who are disproportionately affected by climate impacts despite having contributed the least to global emissions. Although scholars have been calling for a human rights-based approach and a health perspective to climate action, the literature looking at this multidisciplinary intersection is still nascent, and governments have yet to implement such intersectoral policies. This commentary begins to reflect on the relationship between climate change, human rights, and public health from the perspective of young people engaged in climate action and discourse at the national and international levels. It presents a way forward on what we, as youth climate advocates and researchers, believe is a priority to bring intersectoral integration of human rights and public health approaches to climate change to fruition. First, scholars and practitioners should examine and support youth-led climate interventions that tackle human rights and public health violations incurred by the climate crisis. Second, participatory approaches to climate change must be designed by working synergistically with climate-vulnerable groups, including children and young people, practitioners and scholars in public health and human rights sectors to holistically address the social, health, and environmental impacts of the climate crisis and root causes of injustice. Finally, we recommend more holistic data collection to better inform evidence-based climate policies that operationalize human rights and public health co-benefits