Around the world, public health and social justice activists are responding to the epidemic in ways that meet immediate needs but also strengthen movements that can create alternatives to the economic and social policies that contributed to the spread of the coronavirus. Here are three such efforts:
Mapping Business Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic
The NCD Alliance(NCDA) and the SPECTRUM research consortium collaborated to conduct an online survey. The aim of the survey is to collect examples of activities undertaken or presented by businesses as a response to the COVID-19 crisis. Read more
Health Equity Policy Platform for COVID-19 Response and Recovery
Human Impact Partners releases a cross-sector policy platform that, if implemented, could begin to protect the people and communities bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more
People’s Health Movement Chapters Respond to COVID-19
The People’s Health Movement, a global network that brings together grassroots health activists, civil society organizations and academic institutions from around the world, has posted 16 statements from People’s Health Movement chapters around the world, analyzing the social determinants of COVID-19 in their nation, suggesting actions to mitigate its impact, and calling for governments to act. Read more
Around the world, public health and social justice activists are responding to the epidemic in ways that meet immediate needs but also strengthen movements that can create alternatives to the economic and social policies that contributed to the spread of the coronavirus. Here are three such efforts:
Mapping Business Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses have initiated new activities presented as altruistic or socially responsible, while others are seeking ways to influence or benefit from government responses to the crisis. While some of these activities may provide limited benefits (e.g. by making essential products available), many may actually increase the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the population and/or undermine broader development goals. This is particularly the case where businesses’ core products and activities are harmful to health – such as companies associated with ‘unhealthy commodities’ such as tobacco, alcohol, ultra-processed food and beverages, gambling, and fossil fuels.
To document these responses the NCD Alliance (NCDA) and the SPECTRUM research consortium have collaborated to conduct an online survey. The aim of the survey is to collect examples of activities undertaken or presented by businesses as a response to the COVID-19 crisis – including corporate social responsibility initiatives, philanthropy, new marketing campaigns, and engagement in policy debates. Results from the survey will be collated to provide a map of such activities across countries and across industries. You can find the survey in English, French, Portuguese or Spanish here.
Health Equity Policy Platform for COVID-19 Response and Recovery
This week, Human Impact Partners (the organization behind Public Health Awakened) released a cross-sector policy platform that, if implemented, could begin to protect the people and communities bearing the brunt of this crisis. The platform proposes transformative solutions in the economic, housing, criminal legal, and healthcare systems. In that spirit, the platform centers their policy solutions, specific actions, and related resources to ensure that people’s health and wellbeing is protected at this most vulnerable of moments.
People’s Health Movement Chapters Respond to COVID-19
The People’s Health Movement is a global network that brings together grassroots health activists, civil society organizations and academic institutions from around the world, particularly from low and middle income countries to promote health for all through an equitable, participatory, and inter-sectoral movement and as a human rights issue. Its website has posted 16 statements from People’s Health Movement chapters around the world analyzing the social determinants of COVID-19 in their nation, suggesting actions to mitigate its impact, and calling for governments to act. Several statements document the problematic role of the pharmaceutical industry in responding to COVID-19 and call attention to human rights violations justified in the guise of responding to the pandemic.
Corporations and Health Watch 