The Anticipated Future of Public Health Services Post COVID-19: Viewpoint

Abstract

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a global pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected various public health functions and essential services in different ways and magnitudes. Although all countries have witnessed the effect of COVID-19, the impact differed based on many factors including the integrity and resiliency of the countries’ health systems. This paper presents opinions and expectations of the authors about the anticipated changes in the future of public health at the global, regional, and national levels. The viewpoint is based on the current efforts and challenges that various stakeholders have carried out to control COVID-19 and the contribution from the literature on the future of public health. Numerous agencies and actors are involved in the fight against COVID-19 with variations in their effectiveness. The public health services showed weaknesses in most of the countries, in addition to the lack of adequate curative medicine settings. The pandemic highlighted the need for better governance and stronger and more resilient health systems and capacities. The COVID-19 experience has also emphasized the importance of coordination and collaboration among the countries and stakeholders. The COVID-19 pandemic might lead to a wide discussion to improve international and national approaches to prepare for and respond to similar events in terms of preparedness and response mechanisms and tools. Public health will not be the same as before COVID-19. New health priorities, approaches, and new agendas will be on the table of the global platforms and initiatives. More investment in research and technology to meet the demand for new vaccines and medicines, innovative methods like distance learning and working, more respect and remuneration to health professionals, and normalization of the public health and social measures that were induced during the COVID-19 pandemic are expected to be seen in future.

Re-evaluating Our Knowledge of Health System Resilience During COVID-19: Lessons From the First Two Years of the Pandemic

“…38 Looking forward to future shocks was also recognized as an important learning process following COVID-19, to strengthen public health systems for global health emergencies. 14,23,29,34,36,[38][39][40][41][42][43][44] The influence of context on learning was relatively overlooked, 45 with a few exceptions: one study describing how the 2003 SARS outbreak changed community values and the political environment for public health in Singapore and how this redefined the health system's context prior to COVID-19, 8,10 and one study describing how the pandemic has influenced the political climate for developing new frameworks on noncommunicable diseases in the European Commission. 42 Several articles stated iterative and cyclical learning as a key takeaway, to continuously assess how policies and strategies performed during the pandemic over time, and to use these learnings in future policies.…”

Enhancing global health security in Thailand: Strengths and challenges of initiating a One Health approach to avian influenza surveillance

“…This system has engaged diverse surveillance partners from the Thai government to local villagers, and the private poultry industry effectively. Public-private partnerships is again highlighted as an asset to this surveillance system, which has demonstrated success in other surveillance systems and disease control programs across the world [ [47] , [48] , [49] ]. The integrated approach of this AI surveillance system has initiated the removal of the metaphorical walls between different health sectors and the sharing of critical disease surveillance data.…”

Prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Healthcare Workers following the First SARS-CoV Epidemic of 2003: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…COVID-19 is associated with insufficient staff, and exhaustion may increase sick leave, turnover [ 49 ], and even the resignation of HCWs [ 32 , 34 ]. The lack of HCWs associated with psychological distress may place health systems from multiple countries at risk [ 50 , 51 ]. The organizational structure and function of essential health services will have to challenge the population’s health needs [ 50 ].…”

“…The organizational structure and function of essential health services will have to challenge the population’s health needs [ 50 ]. Although all countries experienced the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact differed depending on the integrity, resiliency, and capacities of the health systems [ 51 ]. Preventive strategies for the mental health of HCWs are urgently needed [ 31 , 38 ].…”