Global coalition to accelerate COVID-19 clinical research in resource-limited settings
by Global coalition to accelerate COVID-19 clinical research in resource-limited settingsTo address challenges posed by the pandemic and accelerate the research needed in resource-limited settings, we propose an international research coalition that brings together existing multinational, multidisciplinary expertise and clinical trial capacity. The coalition will synergise with existing initiatives, such as the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and the SARS-CoV-2 Diagnostic Pipeline. Our objective is to use our existing research capabilities to support, promote, and accelerate multicentre trials of the safety, efficacy, and effectiveness of interventions against COVID-19 in resource-limited settings. For therapeutics, research in such settings should focus primarily on evaluation of affordable repurposed medicines—ie, those already developed and approved for other indications—and implementable supportive measures. If applicable, testing of new diagnostic tools, vaccines, and other potentially beneficial strategies will be added to the trials.
The COVID-19 Pandemic: Global Asymmetries and Challenges for the Future of Health
by Nísia Trindade Lima, Carlos Grabois GadelhaSocial and economic inequality between countries, territories, and population groups has increased during the pandemic. Its impacts are unevenly distributed, revealing the interface between the biological, economic, and social worlds. There is a threat of a humanitarian crisis due to the concrete differences between those who have full access to products, services, and health and those who can be left behind.
Non-communicable diseases: a challenge for global cooperation
by Nísia Trindade Lima e Carlos GadelhaIn current times, it’s easy to forget that over 70% of deaths worldwide are due to non-communicable diseases. How can we tackle their rise? The theory of epidemiological transition (or the changing patterns of population age distributions, mortality, fertility, life expectancy, and causes of death) offers a valuable framework for understanding how different types of diseases can occur simultaneously in a population.