Can evidence drive health equity in the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond?

Katy Bell^{1

2}, Sam White³, Abbey Diaz^{4

5}, Priya Bahria^{4

6}, Fiona Sima^{4

7}, Wael K Al-Delaimy^{4

8}, Susan dosReis^{4

9}, Omar Hassan³, Dorothy Drabarek³, Monjura Nisha³, Kesha Baptiste-Roberts¹⁰, Katy Gwiazdon^{4

11}, Camille Raynes-Greenow^{4

3}, Robin Taylor Wilson^{4

12}, James A Gaudino Jr^{4

13}, Rafael da Silveira Moreira^{4

14}, Bruce Jennings^{4

15}, Pauline Gulliver^{4

16}

Affiliations

¹ Sydney School of Public Health, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Edward Ford Building (A27), Camperdown, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia. katy.bell@sydney.edu.au.
² International Network for Epidemiology in Policy, Sydney, NSW, Australia. katy.bell@sydney.edu.au.
³ International Network for Epidemiology in Policy, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
⁴ Sydney School of Public Health, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Edward Ford Building (A27), Camperdown, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
⁵ First Nations Cancer and Wellbeing Research Team, School of Public Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
⁶ European Medicines Agency, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
⁷ Institute for Health Research, University of Bedfordshire, Luton, England, UK.
⁸ Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
⁹ University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Health Services Research, Baltimore, MD, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Public Health Analysis, School of Community Health and Policy, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
¹¹ Center for Environmental Ethics and Law, Vienna, VA, USA.
¹² Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
¹³ School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Sciences University and Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA.
¹⁴ Area of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
¹⁵ Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
¹⁶ Section of Social and Community Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.

PMID: 38216689
PMCID: PMC10920204
DOI: 10.1057/s41271-023-00452-3

Can evidence drive health equity in the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond?

Katy Bell et al. J Public Health Policy. 2024 Mar.

. 2024 Mar;45(1):137-151.

doi: 10.1057/s41271-023-00452-3. Epub 2024 Jan 12.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Sydney School of Public Health, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Edward Ford Building (A27), Camperdown, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia. katy.bell@sydney.edu.au.
² International Network for Epidemiology in Policy, Sydney, NSW, Australia. katy.bell@sydney.edu.au.
³ International Network for Epidemiology in Policy, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
⁴ Sydney School of Public Health, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Edward Ford Building (A27), Camperdown, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
⁵ First Nations Cancer and Wellbeing Research Team, School of Public Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
⁶ European Medicines Agency, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
⁷ Institute for Health Research, University of Bedfordshire, Luton, England, UK.
⁸ Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
⁹ University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Health Services Research, Baltimore, MD, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Public Health Analysis, School of Community Health and Policy, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
¹¹ Center for Environmental Ethics and Law, Vienna, VA, USA.
¹² Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
¹³ School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Sciences University and Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA.
¹⁴ Area of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
¹⁵ Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
¹⁶ Section of Social and Community Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.

PMID: 38216689
PMCID: PMC10920204
DOI: 10.1057/s41271-023-00452-3

Abstract

Using scoping review methods, we systematically searched multiple online databases for publications in the first year of the pandemic that proposed pragmatic population or health system-level solutions to health inequities. We found 77 publications with proposed solutions to pandemic-related health inequities. Most were commentaries, letters, or editorials from the USA, offering untested solutions, and no robust evidence on effectiveness. Some of the proposed solutions could unintentionally exacerbate health inequities. We call on health policymakers to co-create, co-design, and co-produce equity-focussed, evidence-based interventions with communities, focussing on those most at risk to protect the population as a whole. Epidemiologists collaborating with people from other relevant disciplines may provide methodological expertise for these processes. As epidemiologists, we must interrogate our own methods to avoid propagating any unscientific biases we may hold. Epidemiology must be used to address, and never exacerbate, health inequities-in the pandemic and beyond.

Keywords: COVID-19; Epidemiology; Health equity; Heath policy; Social determinants of health.

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References

1. Bambra C LJ, Smith KE,. The Unequal Pandemic. COVID-19 and Health Inequalities. University of Bristol, 1–9 Old Park Hill, Bristol BS2 8BB, UK: Policy Press, an imprint of Bristol University Press, 2021.
1. Bambra C, Riordan R, Ford J, Matthews F. The COVID-19 pandemic and health inequalities. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2020;74(11):964. - PMC - PubMed
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Can evidence drive health equity in the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond?

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Can evidence drive health equity in the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond?

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Medical

Research Materials

Miscellaneous