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I’ve been especially depressed about the state of the world the past few days and this illustrates exactly why.
Covid-18 is now officially Yet Another Public Health Crisis where no accumulation of lives or suffering overcomes the political gridlock of taking necessary action. https://twitter.com/geoffrbennett/status/1279167084023500801
Covid-18 is now officially Yet Another Public Health Crisis where no accumulation of lives or suffering overcomes the political gridlock of taking necessary action. https://twitter.com/geoffrbennett/status/1279167084023500801
There are so many other examples and I’m heartbroken just thinking about how this crisis will make all of them worse.
Take gun violence and suicide. Dozens of reports that gun sales are through the roof. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.marketplace.org/2020/04/13/covid-19-surge-gun-sales/amp
Take gun violence and suicide. Dozens of reports that gun sales are through the roof. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.marketplace.org/2020/04/13/covid-19-surge-gun-sales/amp
People probably missed this bombshell @NEJM study that followed 26 million non-gun owners. The risk of suicide by firearm was 7.8x higher for men who bought a gun and 35x higher for women.
We know how to fix this!! But it’s politically inconvenient. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1916744
We know how to fix this!! But it’s politically inconvenient. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1916744
Want another example? What about the opioid overdose crisis, or really the addiction crisis in the US. That seems to be much worse too: 40% increase in overdoses in May 2020 vs 2019.
There are lots of policy solutions here too. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/07/01/coronavirus-drug-overdose/
There are lots of policy solutions here too. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/07/01/coronavirus-drug-overdose/
We could deregulate buprenorphine prescribing as a start. That would make a huge difference for opioid use disorder.
Or we could provide Medicaid programs with the investments they need to fight addiction like Virginia has done with its ARTS program. https://nam.edu/dismantling-buprenorphine-policy-can-provide-more-comprehensive-addiction-treatment/
Or we could provide Medicaid programs with the investments they need to fight addiction like Virginia has done with its ARTS program. https://nam.edu/dismantling-buprenorphine-policy-can-provide-more-comprehensive-addiction-treatment/
Momentum on those solutions has come to a halt too, but progress was still slow even before Covid-19.
Why? Fundamentally the problem is stigma and lack of political will to overcome that. https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002969
Why? Fundamentally the problem is stigma and lack of political will to overcome that. https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002969
And what about the close to 30 million uninsured people in the US??
Obvious policy to put a dent in that one: EXPAND MEDICAID. Many states who haven’t expanded are now Covid-19 epicenters.
Why not expand? Just politics over public health. https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/the-coverage-gap-uninsured-poor-adults-in-states-that-do-not-expand-medicaid/
Obvious policy to put a dent in that one: EXPAND MEDICAID. Many states who haven’t expanded are now Covid-19 epicenters.
Why not expand? Just politics over public health. https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/the-coverage-gap-uninsured-poor-adults-in-states-that-do-not-expand-medicaid/
I could list more crises where we succumb to partisanship, political lobbying, or industry influence instead of taking action.
Covid-19 doesn’t have to be one, but we are obviously never going to get the leadership we need nationally.
Covid-19 doesn’t have to be one, but we are obviously never going to get the leadership we need nationally.
This is a depressing thread but there are so many ways that we could pull ourselves out of this. Many countries already have! Follow people like @ashishkjha @ASlavitt @JeremyKonyndyk to see
But America may be unique in how completely politics overwhelms public health priorities.
But America may be unique in how completely politics overwhelms public health priorities.
