Global health leaders and communities unite to bridge post-pandemic gaps and champion equitable health for all.
It’s hard to believe that five years have passed since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The images of quiet streets, overwhelmed hospitals, and virtual (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet) calls that replaced nearly every human interaction. But so too do the remarkable displays of resilience, innovation, and collaboration that helped us weather the storm.
As a public health professional who led the COVID-19 response in the City of St. Louis and provided technical support for other jurisdictions, I reflect with gratitude and urgency. We’ve made progress, but we still have work to do, especially if we want a world where health justice isn’t an exception, but the standard.
What We Got Right
The pandemic forced the transformation of our public health infrastructure in real time. Testing centers popped up overnight. Mobile vaccination units brought care directly to people in a manner that was meaningful to them. Emergency communication systems got faster and more focused.
Globally, governments made historic investments in tracking and monitoring the spread of disease, workforce development, and community health partnerships.
In many countries, targeted vaccination campaigns successfully increased vaccine uptake in historically marginalized communities. Partnerships with faith-based organizations, community health workers, and trusted local leaders helped bridge the trust gap and improve outcomes (Artiga et al., 2021).
The crisis also raised awareness. More people began to understand that public health isn’t just about hospitals, it’s about systems and partnerships working together that keep communities safe, informed, and connected.
What’s Still Broken
Despite this progress, many of the systemic issues that existed before the pandemic remain unresolved—and some have even worsened. As the crisis faded, many public and private organizations reverted to siloed thinking, working independently rather than collaboratively. This fragmentation limits our ability to build systems that address complex public health needs, especially in underserved and low-resource communities (Brownson et al., 2022).
Health disparities haven’t gone away. Whether in rich countries or developing ones, marginalized populations face disproportionate burdens of disease, limited access to care, and social determinants that hinder wellness (Bailey et al., 2017). These disparities are often rooted in systemic inequities related to race, socioeconomic status, geography, gender, and gender identity.
Let’s be honest: our public health systems are under pressure. The workforce is experiencing unprecedented levels of burnout, with many professionals leaving the field altogether. If we don’t invest in the people behind the system, we’re setting ourselves up to fail during the next public health emergency (pandemic, natural disaster, communicable disease outbreak, etc.).
What Comes Next
To sustain and build on the progress we’ve made, we must resist the temptation to return to “business as usual.” The pandemic showed us that we can collaborate across boundaries—locally, nationally, and internationally—when lives are on the line. That urgency must continue. Here’s how:
Build Sustainable Partnerships and Collaborative Practices: We need lasting frameworks that bring together public health, healthcare, business, education, housing, and transportation to address the root causes of poor health. The Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach offers a model for aligning policies across sectors to improve health equity (Rudolph et al., 2013).
Empower Community-Based Organizations Globally: During the pandemic, grassroots organizations played a vital role in reaching communities. Sustained funding, capacity-building, and inclusion in policy-making processes are essential to keeping these groups engaged and effective around the world.
Invest in Workforce Development: Competent public health professionals are the backbone of an effective health system. We must expand training pipelines—especially for underrepresented groups—and support retention through competitive salaries, mentorship, and wellness initiatives (de Beaumont Foundation, 2021).
Build Systems for Data Sharing and Transparency: Real-time data allowed us to track COVID-19 trends and deploy resources efficiently. That level of coordination should continue for chronic diseases, mental health, environmental risks, and global pandemic preparedness.
Address Structural Inequities Head-On: Achieving health justice means dismantling policies and practices that have long excluded or harmed marginalized communities. Justice must be more than a buzzword—it must be embedded and integrated in every aspect of public health practice, from local public health departments, health care clinics and hospitals, to global health governance (Hardeman et al., 2022).
Health Justice Is Still the Goal
Public health is not just about pandemics and communicable disease outbreaks—it’s about ensuring everyone, everywhere, has the opportunity to live a healthy, dignified life. That requires breaking down silos, committing to collaboration, and investing in the infrastructure and people that protect community well-being.
Across cities, countries, and continents, we have the opportunity—and the obligation—to lead the way. Many lives are at risk, and we cannot afford to wait for the next crisis to act with urgency. The time for health justice is now.
References
Artiga, S., Kates, J., Michaud, J., Hill, L., & Tolbert, J. (2021). Racial disparities in COVID-19: Key findings from available data and analysis. Kaiser Family Foundation. https://www.kff.org/
Bailey, Z. D., Krieger, N., Agénor, M., Graves, J., Linos, N., & Bassett, M. T. (2017). Structural racism and health inequities in the USA: Evidence and interventions. The Lancet, 389(10077), 1453–1463.
Brownson, R. C., Kumanyika, S. K., Kreuter, M. W., & Haire-Joshu, D. (2022). Implementation science should give higher priority to health equity. Implementation Science, 17(1), 1-7.
de Beaumont Foundation. (2021). Public health workforce interests and needs survey (PH WINS). https://debeaumont.org/
Hardeman, R. R., Medina, E. M., & Kozhimannil, K. B. (2022). Structural racism and supporting Black lives—The role of health professionals. New England Journal of Medicine, 384(5), 451-453.
Rudolph, L., Caplan, J., Ben-Moshe, K., & Dillon, L. (2013). Health in all policies: A guide for state and local governments. American Public Health Association and Public Health Institute. https://www.apha.org
Dr. Frederick Echols, MD, is available as a subject matter expert on public health for press interviews and speaking engagements.
About Dr. Fredrick Echols, MD
Dr. Fredrick L. Echols, MD is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Population Health and Social Justice Consulting, LLC, an Obama Foundation Global Leader, sought-after public speaker, black men’s health advocate, and accomplished physician with over 15 years of experience in public health. He has worked extensively with public and private sectors to address complex health issues through evidence-informed approaches. Dr. Echols is a graduate of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Population Health Training in Place program and the ASTHO-Morehouse School of Medicine’s Diverse Executives Leading in Public Health program.
Passionate about health and justice, Dr . Echols’ notable roles include serving as Chief Executive Officer for Cure Violence Global, Health Commissioner for the City of St. Louis, and Director of Communicable Disease and Emergency Preparedness for the St. Louis County Department of Public Health. In these roles, he oversaw public health regulations, led COVID-19 response efforts, managed daily operations, and developed strategic partnerships. Dr. Echols also served as Chief of Communicable Diseases for the Illinois Department of Public Health and as a physician in the U.S. Navy. He continues to contribute to public health research and guides health organizations globally.
For more health tips follow Dr. Fredrick Echols @ Fredrick.Echols@gmail.com
Follow Dr. Echols on socials:
LinkedIn: @FredrickEcholsMD ( www.linkedin.com/in/fredrick-echols-m-d-5a2063225)
Facebook: @FredrickEchols
Instagram: @F.EcholsMD
#HealthJustice #COVID19Lessons #GlobalHealth
