Why in the News?

Last month, in March, it was five years since the COVID-19 pandemic began around the world.

What did COVID-19 reveal about trust in healthcare and public health interventions?

• Fragility of Public Trust: Public trust in healthcare systems is delicate and can quickly deteriorate during a crisis. Eg: In countries like the U.S. and Brazil, misinformation and politicization of health measures led to public skepticism about mask mandates and vaccines.
• Trust Influences Compliance: Low trust in healthcare institutions led to reduced compliance with health measures like vaccination, social distancing, and testing. Eg: In India, varying levels of trust in different states resulted in underreporting of COVID-19 deaths, as later highlighted in Science.
• Communication is Crucial: Clear and consistent communication from governments and health agencies helped in building public trust. Eg: New Zealand’s early success was due in part to science-based communication from the Prime Minister and health officials.
• Trust Shapes Health Behavior: People’s willingness to seek medical help or follow guidelines depended on their trust in healthcare providers. Eg: In Nigeria, fear and mistrust led many to avoid hospitals, fearing infection or poor treatment.
• Erosion of Trust Undermines Future Preparedness: Damaged trust affects the public’s response to future health threats and reduces the uptake of new interventions.Eg: The inconsistent global response to monkeypox was partly due to lingering distrust from the COVID-19 experience.

How did technology both aid and challenge digital health and education during the pandemic?

• Enabled Remote Health Services (Telemedicine): Technology allowed continuation of healthcare through teleconsultations when in-person visits were restricted. Eg: In India, platforms like eSanjeevani facilitated over 100 million teleconsultations, especially in rural areas.
• Accelerated Use of AI in Pharma and Diagnostics: Artificial Intelligence helped speed up drug discovery, vaccine research, and diagnostic tools. Eg: Tools developed by DeepMind (UK) predicted protein structures, aiding faster vaccine development and earning its creators the Nobel Prize.
• Exposed the Digital Divide: Access to digital tools remained unequal, affecting remote education and healthcare access for underprivileged groups. Eg: In India, many rural students lacked smartphones or internet, disrupting schooling during lockdowns.
• Boosted Digital Learning Platforms: Educational apps and platforms saw a massive surge, enabling continuity in learning. Eg: Platforms like Byju’s and Google Classroom were widely adopted in India and globally for virtual classes.
• Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Concerns: Increased reliance on tech led to concerns over data breaches, surveillance, and lack of digital ethics. Eg: Contact-tracing apps like Aarogya Setu raised privacy concerns due to unclear data protection protocols.

Why were vulnerable groups, especially women and the poor, hit hardest by the pandemic?

• Loss of Livelihood and Informal Jobs: The poor, especially those in informal sectors, lost income due to lockdowns and lack of social protection. Eg: In India, millions of migrant workers lost jobs overnight and walked back to their villages without government support.
• Increased Burden on Women: Women faced a double burden of unpaid care work (childcare, household chores) and job losses in female-dominated sectors. Eg: During school closures, women in urban slums often had to quit jobs to care for children, worsening gender inequality.
• Limited Access to Health Services: Vulnerable groups faced disruptions in essential health services, including maternal care and mental health support. Eg: In many low-income countries, access to reproductive health services declined, increasing risks for pregnant women.

When and why did universal health coverage and hybrid solutions gain urgency?

• Exposure of Weak Health Infrastructure:The pandemic exposed gaps in health systems, especially in developing countries, creating urgency for universal health coverage to ensure no one is left behind. Eg: In India, shortages of hospital beds and oxygen highlighted the need for strong public health systems accessible to all.

• Need for Remote Healthcare: Lockdowns limited physical access to hospitals, leading to a surge in telemedicine and hybrid care models that combine digital tools with on-ground services. Eg: Teleconsultations increased in both urban and rural areas to provide care without physical contact during peak COVID-19 waves.

• Cost-Effective and Scalable Solutions: Governments began to focus on sustainable and scalable healthcare strategies that balance cost, access, and efficiency through hybrid models. Eg: Countries like Brazil and Bangladesh started integrating AI-powered diagnostics with community healthcare workers to reach underserved populations.

Which IP-related debates during COVID-19 exposed tensions between innovation and access?

• TRIPS Waiver Proposal: The proposal to waive certain intellectual property rights under the TRIPS Agreement sparked global debate. It aimed to let countries produce COVID-19 vaccines, tests, and treatments without legal barriers. Eg: India and South Africa led the push at the WTO in 2020; many developed nations opposed it, fearing harm to innovation.
• Opposition from Pharmaceutical Companies: Pharmaceutical companies resisted IP waivers, arguing it would discourage future research investments. They emphasized the role of patents in incentivizing innovation and funding advanced research. Eg: Pfizer and Moderna opposed sharing mRNA technology, despite global demand.
• Vaccine Nationalism and Access Inequality: IP protections contributed to unequal global vaccine distribution, especially in low-income countries. Wealthier nations secured large vaccine stocks early, while poorer countries struggled due to production limits. Eg: Africa faced major delays in vaccine access due to limited manufacturing and patent restrictions.

Way forward: 

• Promote Flexible IP Frameworks During Health Crises: Encourage temporary waivers or compulsory licensing for life-saving technologies to ensure global equity in access.
• Strengthen Global South Collaboration: Build regional manufacturing and research partnerships to reduce dependency on patent-holding nations and improve pandemic preparedness.

Mains PYQ:

[UPSC 2020] “COVID-19 pandemic accelerated class inequalities and poverty in India. Comment.

Linkage: The COVID-19 pandemic exposed weaknesses in India’s health sector and taught important lessons on how to better prepare for and manage similar health crises in the future. This impacted the vulnerable groups, especially women and the poor, hit hardest by the pandemic.

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