Health Equity Is No Spectator Sport: The Radical Rooting of a Post-Pandemic Bioethics.

The relationship between equality and equity has been theorized and described in many ways. Recently, this relationship has been popularly illustrated via a meme depicting three people watching a baseball game while standing on boxes. The meme's analogy, that achieving health equity is the ability to view a spectator sport, is a neoliberal account of health. The analogy defines equality at the expense of equity, characterizes health as individualistic, describes health equity as a static outcome, and implies that the bioethical questions for achieving health equity are about the distribution and redistribution of resources. As the SARS CoV-2 pandemic vividly reminded us, health equity is no spectator sport. Health equity is the intentional removal of obstacles to health and the enabling of human flourishing to assure that everyone has fair and just opportunities for health. That relational and radical account of health equity requires different analogies. This article reimagines and re-illustrates the relationship between equality and equity using an organic analogy of three plants. The analogy calls for bioethics to nurture communal relationships and engage community leaders in pursuit of communal flourishing.

Combating Contagion and Injustice: The Shared Work for Public Health and Faith Communities During COVID-19.

Faith communities are uniquely positioned for essential public health work to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and address the chronic pre-existing health disparities that have been exacerbated by COVID-19. Specifically, faith communities can (1) dialogue with public health communities, developing internal policies and meeting guidelines consistent with evidence-based recommendations and their own faith traditions, (2) bolster religious daycare and parochial school immunization policies, and (3) partner with faith-based organizations through financial support and volunteer hours. This essential work will complement governmental public health approaches and ensure faith communities can assist with future pandemics.