COVID-19: Impacts on Health and Health Systems

COVID-19 devastated countries in both developed and developing countries. Huge levels of mortality occurred in developed countries like USA, UK, France as well as in many developing countries like Brazil, India, South Africa.

Until April 13 2024, the world suffered with 704,753,890 infections and close to 7,010,681 deaths. In the US alone 1,219,487 deaths were reported until April 13,2024. Prevalence of COVID-19 had caused a significant decline in the number of patients seeking routine health services related to communicable and cardiovascular diseases in almost all countries belonging to both developed and developing regions. COVID-19 made a massive dent in the diagnostics sector with a steep fall in patient volumes since the beginning of 2020. The pandemic developed an haunting sense of fear among people, which eventually impacted hospital/clinic and lab visits. Regular check-ups became cumbersome, stressful and time consuming.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, former advisor to former US President Joe Biden asserted that domestic policy failure, and the lack of a public health infrastructure for handling an outbreak of such proportions has resulted such huge human loss.

The focus of this book is to take a close look at case studies from various countries and find the lessons learned including rise in mental illnesses and  development of health care post COVID-19, to remain ready for any such pandemic in the future.

Rais Akhtar is formerly Professor of Geography,and Dean,University of Kashmir,Srinagar, National Fellow and Emeritus Scientist(CSIR),CSRD,Jawaharlal Nehru University,New Delhi,and Visiting Professor Dept. of Geology,AMU,Aligarh. He  has taught at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi,University of Zambia, Lusaka and The University of Kashmir, Srinagar. He is recipient of  a number of international fellowships including Leverhulme Fellowship ( University of Liverpool) ,Henry Chapman Fellowship (University of London),and Visiting Fellowship,(University of Sussex),Royal Society Fellowship, University of Oxford and ,Visiting Professorship, University of Paris-10. Prof.Akhtar was elected Fellow of Royal Geographical Society, London and Royal Academy of Overseas Sciences, Brussels. Prof.Akhtar delivered invited lectures in about 55 universities, geography departments  and medical colleges including London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Depts. of Geography, University of Edinburgh, Leicester, Strathclyde ,Glasgow, and Liverpool, Institute of Geography,National University,Mexico City,University of Hawaii ,Honolulu, and University of Akron, and School of Public Health , Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Bologna Hospital, Institute of Health, Universities of Perugia and Camerino, and Institute of Public Health, Pisa,Italy.

He was Lead Author (1999-2007),on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) , which is the  joint winner of Nobel Peace Prize for 2007. Prof.Akhtar is the recipient of Nobel Memento. Prof.Akhtar has to his credit 94 research papers and 22 books published from India,United Kingdom, United States  ,Germany and The Netherlands. His  books entitled: Climate Change and Human Health Scenario in South and Southeast Asia, was published in 2016 by Springer, and his  other books include Climate Change and Air Pollution  (with C.Palagiano) published by Springer, and Geographical Aspects of Health and Disease in India (with Andrew Learmonth) published in 2018 by Concept (New Delhi).His other books include: Extreme Weather Events and Human Health, was published by Springer in early 2020, Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreaks, Environment and Human Behaviour, and Coronavirus(COVID-19) Outbreaks,Vaccination,Politics and Society,were also published by Springer in 2021 and 2022 respectively.Prof.Akhtar’s latest book entitled Climate Change and Human Health Scenarios, was published by Springer in 2023. Prof.Rais Akhtar was Member of the Eight Five Year Plan of Govt.of India,,on Health ,family welfare and on Diseases , and also  Member of  Expert Group  on Climate Change and Human Health of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare ,Govt. of India. Prof.Akhtar has been appointed as Corresponding Member of Italian Geographical Society in October 2018.