The December issue of Health Affairs features contributions from researchers worldwide, analyzing the policies and programs implemented by various nations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting their trade-offs, and offering a forward-looking approach towards preparedness for future health crises.
The authors highlight the similarities and differences between models, how they were used to inform policy, and lessons for future pandemics including the need for sustainable data collections systems and greater engagement between modelers, policy makers, and the public.
From Germany, Lasse Falk and coauthors explore the complex relationship between objective and subjective measures of the stringency of COVID-19 lockdown policies in seven European countries.
Their findings illustrate a diverse array of factors influencing individual perceptions and shed light on how lockdown policies may inadvertently worsen existing inequalities.
Latin America
From Argentina, Adolfo Rubinstein and coauthors illustrate the trade-off between the epidemiological and sociological impacts of public health and social measures in Argentina, Brazil, Jamaica, and Mexico using an integrated epidemiological-economic model.
Pedro Bernal Lara and colleagues dig into the impact of health services disruption in Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru, underscoring the urgent need to enhance health system resilience to ensure continuous access to high-quality health care services during public health emergencies.
Their findings are reinforced by a qualitative exploratory study by Cristian A. Herrara and colleagues, who explore the impact of service disruptions through the perspective of health care system decision makers and managers.
Their findings support previous evidence that aid efforts were not responsive to age-based needs and remained inaccessible to the most vulnerable populations, urging greater consideration for adolescents in future crisis responses.
Also included in the issue:
A systematic review by Rory Smith et al. examines the effectiveness of various measures implemented by governments, public health authorities, and social media platforms to counter misinformation.
Ashley Fox and coauthors consider twin barriers to vaccine access in low- and middle-income countries: accessibility and vaccine hesitancy.
This series features policy analysis, proposals, and commentary that we hope will elevate the issues for our audience and inform policies on the state and federal levels to advance integrated care for those dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.
Begun in early 2022, the series has already featured over two dozen articles by various authors discussing the advancement of integrated care for dual-eligible individuals, the CAPABLE Program, proposals for Medicaid managed care rules, the improvement of care for dually eligible individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, and many related topics.
Thanks to ongoing support from Arnold Ventures, we are able to reissue our call for submissions for this series. We will accept submissions until October 31, 2024.
Questions, including those about the suitability of a particular topic, can be sent to [email protected].
About Health Affairs
Health Affairs is the leading peer-reviewed journal at the intersection of health, health care, and policy. Published monthly by Project HOPE, the journal is available in print and online.
Project HOPE is a global health and humanitarian relief organization that places power in the hands of local health care workers to save lives across the globe. Project HOPE has published Health Affairs since 1981.
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