An unprecedented challenge: Italy’s first response to COVID-19

This report tells the story of the first phase of Italy’s response to the COVID-19 virus, which in many people transformed into the dreaded illness known as COVID-19, leading to unprecedented death tolls across the world. Readers should note that the report is an unfinished story. It was written in the midst of the initial phase of the pandemic in a climate of constant and daily change as the country responded to this unprecedented challenge. While early lessons will surely need to be revisited, this report is a first account of Italy’s immediate experience with COVID-19, dealing with different aspects of the response as the first country that experienced widescale community transmission in Europe.

Community Responses to COVID-19: From the Horn of Africa to the Solomon Islands

While this pandemic has the potential to fracture societies, it is the resilience, solidarity, strength, and ingenuity of communities that will help overcome this crisis.

Highlights

• Community-driven development (CDD) programs, which put people at the center of designing their own solutions, are a critical part of the World Bank’s response to the global COVID-19 crisis.

• The Bank is supporting countries in Horn of Africa and in Solomon Islands through CDD programs that are delivering cash and basic services to the most vulnerable.

• To tackle a crisis of this magnitude and scale, countries need an equitable, whole-of-society approach, which lies at the heart of CDD programs.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have devastating impacts on people, with a disproportionate impact on the poor and the most vulnerable, who lack the coping mechanisms and essential services they need.

In a crisis of this magnitude, no single intervention is enough, and countries ...

Integrated Healthcare Systems Response Strategies Based on the Luohu Model During the COVID-19 Epidemic in Shenzhen, China

COVID-19 has affected primary health-care delivery in metropolitan areas. An integrated health-care system offers advantages in response to the community outbreak and transmission of highly infectious diseases.

On the basis of practitioner experience with a pioneering integrated health-care system in Shenzhen, China, this article presents the following effective strategies in response to the epidemic: (1) enhance the public workforce in primary health care; (2) integrate resources to allow regional sharing and efficient use; (3) employ teams centered on general practitioners for community containment; and (4) adopt e-health and telemedicine for healthcare delivery.

An integrated health-care system is usually very specific to a particular regional context; however, the core strategies and mechanisms based on the Luohu model can contribute to improving the public health capacity in emergency responses; they can transform health-care delivery in the COVID-19 epidemic.

The experience in Shenzhen may help other cities in enhancing and coordinating the preparedness ...

Civil society feedback on the Zero Draft of the 2023 Political Declaration on UHC

The 2023 UN High-Level (HLM) Meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) provides countries and all stakeholders with the opportunity to not just recommit to UHC but take concrete actions toward building resilient and equitable health systems. While some progress has been made since the 2019 HLM on UHC that resulted in a comprehensive Political Declaration, more than half of the world’s population still lacks access to essential health services. The situation was further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the UHC2030 Co-Chairs recently stated in their reflection on the UHC Political Declaration 2023 Zero Draft, Member States must show political leadership and “move from commitment to action”. Following the release of the zero draft of the political declaration, the Civil Society Engagement Mechanism (CSEM) launched a survey to collect feedback from civil society to identify priorities for strengthening the zero draft, and ultimately, the Political Declaration. Over the span ...

UN General Assembly High-Level Meetings on health 2023: Universal Health Coverage

Universal health coverage is a matter of equity, rights, and justice

The Coalition of Partnerships for Universal Health Coverage and Global Health calls on all countries to urgently reinvigorate progress towards health for all.

At the High Level Political Forum in July and the three UN High-level meetings on health, upcoming in September, 2023, all countries must recognise that progress in providing tuberculosis care, strengthening pandemic preparedness, and delivering the human right to health through universal health coverage are interrelated goals, requiring a concerted focus on the most vulnerable and marginalised populations.

Towards an equitable people-centred health system for Spain

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on Spain and its devastating effects on health and health care have been felt across various domains, including the social, economic, and political spheres. Among the sectors hardest hit were the health system and its dedicated health professionals. Consequently, there has been a growing recognition among the Spanish population that the health system, often regarded as an efficient and high-quality system, requires strengthening and modernisation.

Spain held its national elections on July 23, 2023, in a context of high polarisation of public opinion and absence of clear majorities of parties in the formation of the government. In these coming weeks, political parties are negotiating a programme for the next legislature and if they do not reach an agreement the elections will be repeated in January, 2024. Against a background of heightened political tensions and eroding trust in politicians and health systems, we ...