Pandemics, vulnerability, and prevention: time to fundamentally reassess how we value and communicate risk?: CITIES, HEALTH and COVID-19: Initial reflections and future challenges. (21st July 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Black, Daniel; Bates, Geoff; Gibson, Andy; Hatleskog, Eli; Fichera, Eleonora; Hatchard, Jenny; Md Nazmul, Hasan; Rosenberg, Ges; Larkin, Charles; Brierley, Rachel; Kidger, Judi; Bondy, Krista; Hickman, Matt; Pain, Kathy; Hicks, Ben; Scally, Gabriel; Verma, Arpana; Carhart, Neil; Pilkington, Paul; Hunt, Alistair; Ireland, Paddy
• Is Part Of: Cities & health. Volume 5(2021)Supplement 1
• Page Start: S93
• Page End: S96
• Publication Date: 2021-07-21
• Subjects: Non-communicable disease -- cities -- inequality -- vulnerability -- risk -- priorities; 362.12
• DOI: 10.1080/23748834.2020.1811480
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2374-8834

Abstract

ABSTRACT: For over a decade, pandemics have been on the UK National Risk Register as both the likeliest and most severe of threats. Non-infectious 'lifestyle' diseases were already crippling our healthcare services and our economy. COVID-19 has exposed two critical vulnerabilities: firstly, the UK's failure to adequately assess and communicate the severity of non-communicable disease; secondly, the health inequalities across our society, due not least to the poor quality of our urban environments. This suggests a potentially disastrous lack of preventative action and risk management more generally, notably with regards to the existential risks from the climate and ecological crises.