Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe: towards stronger policy that incorporates the impact of social disparities. (Special Issue: COVID-19 health system governance.)

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on countries in the European Region has been devastating with substantial morbidity and mortality and broader societal and economic effects. This in part reflects poor public health leadership and politicised responses but more importantly, a failure to account for social disparities. The stop- start pattern of Public Health and Social Measures further exacerbates the disproportionate impact on those most vulnerable. A Health in All Policies lens offers an indication of the type of coherent multisectoral thinking needed to address these social disparities in the COVID-19 context as well as in pandemic planning measures going forwards.

Public health leadership and the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. (Special Issue: COVID-19 health system governance.)

The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasised that calls for clearer mandates and leadership from health authorities has gone unheard for decades. Preventable occurrences in response to the pandemic depict that countries in the WHO European Region suffer from various issues that undermine public health leadership - a necessary capacity to navigate extraordinary times, such as these. What remains clear is that there is a dire need for public health to be reinforced and enabled to ensure effective public health responses. Furthermore, internal siloes within the field must be broken down and collaboration within and across sectors nurtured, to help build up resilience to handle future emergencies.

Special Issue: COVID-19 health system governance. (Special Issue: COVID-19 health system governance.)

This special issue of Eurohealth contains 10 papers that examines different elements of governing the COVID-19 pandemic in the countries of WHO European Region. These articles shed light on the achievement and progress made despite many unknowns during the early stages of the pandemic, and the challenges faced over a long-term emergency.

COVID-19: reflecting on experience and anticipating the next steps: a perspective from the WHO regional office for Europe. (Special Issue: COVID-19 health system response.)

This article presents three key lessons that should form the foundation of the evolving COVID-19 response and long term recovery efforts: (1) Even the best health systems were not sufficiently prepared: building resilient health systems, (2) There is not a competition between health and the economy: moving towards an economy of well-being, and (3) solidarity, innovation and a multisectoral response is needed to break out of this pandemic. Looking ahead, there is a need to examine the impact of COVID-19 on the ability to make significant progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. While it is clear that progress will be hampered by this pandemic, setbacks should only serve to whet the appetite and achieve the ambitions. A multisectoral approach is of the utmost importance, but the real path through this crisis is by closing the gap between the politicians and the public. The solutions must be created together, the contribution of the communities must be increased rapidly. Despite its difficulties, COVID-19 offers the opportunity to rapidly produce social and political change on a scale that it has never done before. Necessity, courage, innovation and cooperation are the attributes that are need for assertion.