COVID-19: A Global Public Health Systems Perspective

Having already caused more than 4 million deaths, it is hard to hard to see the COVID-19 pandemic as anything other than a global disaster.  But a retrospective analysis shows how the existence and performance of public health systems – from the global to the interpersonal – helped to quell the pandemic.  The world was alerted to COVID-19 by an international epidemiologic alert system that within weeks facilitated the development of a vaccine in record time.  Germany and South Korea capitalized on their biotechnology industry and regulatory structures to rapidly develop the COVID-19 tests needed to implement effective contracting operations.  Health systems and researchers developed, and shared information about, effective new treatment approaches.  Schools and universities deployed rapid testing systems to remain open and safe.  Small communities, American states (e.g. Vermont and California), and entire nations (e.g. New Zealand) implemented layered control strategies that relied on the cooperation of entire public health system – official agencies, the healthcare delivery sector, political leaders, and more.  Currently, countries are developing new public-private systems to deploy vaccines efficiently and fairly, both on a local and a global scale.  Although these examples cover diverse aspects of the pandemic response, the systems perspective helps us to see that (1) progress depends on moving beyond the individual interests of countries, organizations, and persons to collective interests and (2) the critical importance of concern for the common good and protecting the most vulnerable, social capital, and good leadership to achieve this.