Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic emerged as a global health crisis affecting everyone, regardless of age or socioeconomic status. It has drastically affected societies, impacting everyday life due to precautionary measures implemented to curb it. Due to economic difficulties, many individuals struggled to sustain their lives during the lockdown, which required them to stay indoors. This affected various activities, such as trade, from occurring, resulting in insufficient funds.
High expenses were incurred by patients in intensive care units as they struggled to survive. The diseases became out of control at the individual level, and a need for third-party support arose. Bodies such as the national security aim to protect only one state’s interests, people, and property. However, the global health organization ensures improved health for everyone within and across all states. This is illustrated by its many efforts to ensure everyone received equal protection during the pandemic.
Equitable Access to Healthcare and Free Medical Services
Equality in healthcare is a significant concern for all patients since they are vulnerable. The COVID-19 pandemic spread rapidly, and the infection rate was significantly higher than that of other diseases. This called for immediate action since the death rate became very high. Insufficient healthcare facilities posed a significant challenge, as more patients needed to be admitted for further treatment. Global health bodies, such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations, and the World Food Programme, have developed measures to ensure equality for all individuals, including the poor, the disabled, and those living in marginalized areas, to ensure they are adequately cared for. Their initiatives have facilitated free medication and checkups in many healthcare centers.
Infection Control Through Quarantine, Isolation, and Lockdowns
Quarantine recommendations for severe cases in the hospital were made to isolate the sick patients from infecting others. Since the virus could spread quickly even through mere interaction, victims were required to stay in private places where they could receive specialized treatment (Mazza et al., 2020). Hospitals that had not equipped themselves with sufficient beds were ordered to do this. Issues related to sharing facilities were limited due to the nature of the disease. This increased the safety of patients who were admitted with other diseases. This increased the safety of other people who had not yet contracted the disease.
Furthermore, a national lockdown was imposed, requiring all individuals, regardless of their health status, to stay home. Public meetings and gatherings were burned to prevent interaction arenas where victims could unknowingly spread this virus. This ensured that every individual was given care.
Use of Personal Protective Equipment and Hospital Safety Protocols
Personal protective equipment was being distributed to all hospitals to ensure the safety of both doctors and patients. The sick were given facemasks to wear to prevent the spread of the virus while interacting with others through speech (Liu & Zhang, 2020). On the other hand, nurses must use gloves regularly while treating the clients to avoid contamination risks. Other safety practices were also adhered to, and anyone found going against them would face the law. Unique isolation gowns were to be worn by doctors during patient treatment sessions (Patel et al., 2021).
Additionally, face shields offered extra protection to the eyes and face. Healthcare personnel must dress appropriately and safely before entering the isolation room. All these measures ensured the safety of the hospitals’ most vulnerable nurses and doctors.
Targeted Protection for Vulnerable and Marginalized Populations
Patients admitted from both rural and urban areas were considered for treatment. Research in China indicated that all citizens residing in Wuhan and its surrounding areas received equal treatment and care (Shadmi et al., 2020). Additionally, the government offered medical subsidies to cover the costs of all individuals in the ICU units without any financial constraints.
Furthermore, special equipment, such as Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machines (ECMO), was donated to healthcare facilities for further treatment. Any other medical expenses incurred due to complicated procedures were covered at no additional cost, making the service delivery easy and efficient. All this was accomplished through collaborations with the World Health Organization and the government on measures countries needed to implement to address any emerging pandemic.
The disabled people were not discriminated against during the COVID-19 pandemic, as their needs were also considered. This was achieved by establishing special home nursing care, where treatments could be administered in the comfort of their own homes (Kavanagh et al., 2021). Regular checkups by family members and online interactions with doctors ensured better healthcare.
The government initiatives offered equipment to support movement initiated during treatment. Local community health centers conducted home visits to check on the conditions of their members and offered counseling and refills of drugs. Initiatives to care for the elderly and integrate them into society were emphasized.
The most vulnerable people, especially those living in slums, where poor sanitation and housing conditions were expected, were also considered. Initiatives such as setting up public hand-washing facilities improved the hygienic conditions of most residents. In Brazil, for instance, research has indicated that the poorest individuals suffer the most due to economic and social inequalities (Shadmi et al., 2020). Further, cases of individuals with prevalent health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and respiratory disease were reported to be at risk of contracting the coronavirus. They were therefore required to report to the hospital if they showed any signs of contracting the disease.
The issue of racism in hospitals was experienced when black people were discriminated against. In most countries, foreigners were discriminated against and given few opportunities to receive treatment. Global health interventions and guidelines ensured they received care regardless of race or color.
Additionally, the homeless and the prisoners in various countries received equal treatment in other countries. Reports indicate that Brazil has the third-largest incarcerated population in the world (Shadmi et al., 2020). The government has devised initiatives to provide health services to all individuals, regardless of their situation or mode of residence. Temporary exits and family visits were limited as this could create a possible disease infection.
Expansion of Healthcare Capacity and Emergency Medical Infrastructure
The marginalized places, especially the semi-arid areas, experienced difficulties during the pandemic. The lack of food and other necessities exacerbated the situation, as they had not taken measures to prepare for emergencies. The global health community devised initiatives to offer free food relief to curb anger during that moment (Kantamneni, 2020).
Due to the insufficient hospital capacity, temporary medical camps were established to save the lives of critically ill patients. The need to walk far distances to get these services made them more vulnerable. This initiative gave them equal opportunities for protection.
Vaccination and Public Health Recovery
The most crucial measure taken from the global health perspective was the invention of vaccines to boost individuals’ immunity. All people across the globe were given equal access to the vaccine without any payment required. Individuals with a high risk of infection, such as the elderly and those with special conditions, were given priority (Jeyanathan et al., 2020).
The intake of this dosage drastically reduced the number of COVID-19 cases reported in the various hospital units. This allowed for individual interaction and engagement in economic activities to gain income. The guidelines set during lockdown have been eliminated, creating opportunities for other advancements.
National and Broader Security Measures
On the other hand, the national security field organization is concerned with protecting the needs of people within a given state. This implies self-care within a particular geographical position without considering the surrounding communities (Howell, 2021). Decision-making on essential perspectives is centralized, focusing on issues affecting the state, and measures to address them are developed. The state’s economic status is also protected from fluctuations, which can result in significant losses. This concept, in other terms, can be viewed as protection from military attack.
National insecurity within a state can occur due to terrorists who plan attacks, organized criminal groups, and national disasters. Floods and earthquakes are among the disasters most likely to affect the safety of individuals in such settings. Due to this, it is the mandate of the state’s national government to ensure safety and create conducive living environments for its citizens. It has a variety of dimensions within the state, including energy, economic, food, border, and environmental security.
In a practical approach, the primary concern of national security is managing any threats that might bring instability within the state. This results from the state’s ability to mobilize military forces to ensure tight border security. Military aggression caused by external attacks contributes to increased acts of terrorism, creating fear and worry. This implies that the primary focus is within the territories, rather than across them.
Consideration of infrastructure security protects the interests of people. Such facilities include hospitals, schools, airports, and highways. These create platforms for daily interactions and engagement in economic activities (Hagmann, 2018). This limits them from vulnerabilities that are likely to occur in cases of poor maintenance. Agencies are created within the state and given the mandate to offer protection. Commercial transportation services are also provided in the form of police units, which are responsible for maintaining peace and order.
Computer security, which encompasses the safety of computing devices such as smartphones and private networks, is another critical aspect that is observed. All the components stored in the hardware and software devices are protected from unauthorized access (Getman & Yakoviyk, 2019). This involves setting strong passwords that cannot be easily guessed, even by using specialized computer programs used in hacking. Through this, the privacy of stored data is highly secured, reducing fear and doubts among the citizens.
From the above perspectives, national security strategies have some weaknesses. Firstly, the urge to protect only one state creates enmity with the surrounding states. Sharing ideas with other states leads to positive socialization, which builds citizens’ social networks. People learn new ways of handling issues and develop solid strategies for emergencies.
Conclusion
In summary, it can be concluded that the global health perspective is the most preferred approach as it is concerned with the health and welfare of every individual. Differences in the social, political, and economic perspectives do not act as barriers to medication—people from all classes, whether poor or rich, are treated equally without discrimination. The disabled people who find it challenging to run typical day-to-day activities are also well represented. This makes them feel like part of the country since planning involves their needs.
This approach creates a sense of unity where ideas and problems can be shared between two or more countries. Planned research workshops involving representatives from each country aim to improve citizens’ health. Ideas can be shared and synthesized, leading to creativity.
Through this, the individuals learn about the need to utilize locally available resources in dealing with future emergency pandemics. Further, public awareness increases when illiterate members learn about standard preventive measures. For instance, regular washing of hands can also apply to other diseases, not just the coronavirus.
Global health considers people in the marginalized areas where drought and famine have made life unbearable. Insufficient food makes them vulnerable to diseases due to poor immunity. The homeless individuals and the prisoners are also taken care of. This indicates that equality is a crucial aspect of the development of any country. Further, it increases responsibility levels where each country sets measures applicable to all sectors of the economy. They can therefore respond to emergencies without depending on other bodies specializing in those problems.
Reference List
Getman, A. and Yakoviyk, I. (2019) “National security strategy of Ukraine: History of belated reforms,” Problems of Legality, (147), pp. 8–22.
Hagmann, J. et al. (2018) “The programmatic and institutional (re-)configuration of the Swiss National Security Field,” Swiss Political Science Review, 24(3), pp. 215–245.
Howell, C. (2021) “Overview of relevant findings and recommendations from the National Security Commission on AI Final Report,” Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Multi-Domain Operations Applications III [Preprint].
Liu, X. and Zhang, S. (2020) “Covid‐19: Face masks and human‐to‐human transmission,” Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses, 14(4), pp. 472–473.
Kavanagh, A. et al. (2021) “Improving health care for disabled people in covid-19 and beyond: Lessons from Australia and England,” Disability and Health Journal, 14(2), p. 101050.
Jonathan, M. et al. (2020) “Immunological considerations for covid-19 vaccine strategies,” Nature Reviews Immunology, 20(10), pp. 615–632.
Kantamneni, N. (2020) “The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on marginalized populations in the United States: A research agenda,” Journal of Vocational Behavior, 119, p. 103439.
Mazza, M. et al. (2020) “Danger in danger: Interpersonal violence during covid-19 quarantine,” Psychiatry Research, 289, p. 113046.
Patel, M.K. et al. (2021) “Evaluation of post-introduction COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness: Summary of interim guidance of the World Health Organization,” Vaccine, 39(30), pp. 4013–4024.
Shadmi, E. et al. (2020) “Health equity and covid-19: Global perspectives,” International Journal for Equity in Health, 19(1).