October 16, 2020
Panel envisions how to create a “better normal” post-pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the racial, social and economic inequities that shape the health and well-being of all people in the United States and throughout the world. It also provides the opportunity to re-imagine a post-COVID-19 world in which we are all healthier — as individuals and entire populations. To mark the completion of the Hans Rosling Center for Population Health, the 91Ě˝»¨Population Health Initiative and the Graduate School Office of Public Lectures for a discussion moderated by that envisioned how to create a healthier, more equitable world.
Mental health is a vital element of overall health, and Professor , with the departments of Global Health and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, discussed how racism and other inequities have major impacts on well-being. The environment we inhabit also plays a vital role in our health, and , dean of the College of Built Environments, outlined the often hidden impacts of our built environments and the choices in design and construction that can be made to improve health and reduce inequities. Meanwhile, Professor , chair of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences, discussed how humans are changing the climate in ways that will narrow the parts of the planet that are habitable.
Joining the discussion, , who directs strategy planning and management in the Global Health Division of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, referred to the need for strong partnerships between universities, foundations and communities, and how one of those partnerships – between the Gates Foundation and the 91Ě˝»¨ – quickly sprung into action to address the pandemic. And , president of the University of Miami and the former health minister of Mexico, discussed the leadership role universities have in the current pandemic, as well as his optimism in our collective ability to overcome it and future challenges – including by having faith in young people. Frenk is also the chair of the UW