Urban green spaces in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic: reflections from Nairobi, Kenya.

This paper seeks to examine how the perception and use of Nairobi's urban green spaces (UGS) have been impacted by the Covid- 19 pandemic. The question of how the current pandemic and the resulting government policies will affect urban green spaces has remained elusive. Similarly, the relationship between public health crises and urban green spaces has not been well integrated in the current literature. This paper identifies a nexus between government response to the Covid-19 pandemic and (Un) sustainability of UGS. The authors further reflect on the potential role UGS could play to mitigate the negative effects of the pandemic. Findings of the study show that UGS in Nairobi have not been fully exploited to provide citizens with sufficient access to green spaces yet as the pandemic has shown these spaces could significantly improve physical and mental health for the citizens as well as act as logistical areas for humanitarian activities during a pandemic. The paper therefore concludes with policy recommendations that can give rise to short and long term reforms in the provision and management of UGS.

Healthcare services utilization among international students in Ankara, Turkey: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: While international students form an increasing population of higher education students in Turkey, there is limited empirical evidence about their health services utilization. The study aim was to investigate healthcare access among a group of international students studying in Ankara city and identify potential barriers that affect full healthcare utilization. METHOD: A total of 535 international students from 83 countries completed an online-based questionnaire. The survey was conducted from September until October 2020. Variables between groups within the study sample were compared using ANOVA and Chi-square tests (with Fisher's exact test). Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationships between variables related to access to health services. RESULTS: Of the study population, 80.6% accessed the general practitioner (GP), 40% accessed the student health centres, and 11.4% were admitted to the hospital at least once. About 80% of international students reported changing their views to access healthcare more because of the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSION: Lack of awareness of healthcare support systems, perceived stigma associated with mental health services, and language barriers were the main barriers affecting healthcare access by international students. IMPLICATIONS: Study findings indicate the need for education of international students on available healthcare, targeted health promotion, and training of health providers on effective communication.

Policy and research frame of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: reflections on urban informality.

How has the informality of urban slums exposed a gap in policy formulation and research questions in the wake of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic? This paper seeks to identify the appropriate questions and policy frame that would assist future researchers and policymakers on the subject of pandemics in densely populated urban settlements. The authors argue that the nexus between asking the appropriate questions and developing appropriate policy response measures during a pandemic can significantly impact the outcome of the response. The paper examines how the government of Kenya's response to the COVID-19 pandemic reveals a deep-rooted socio-economic and cultural inequality when "blanket" policies are adopted without taking into consideration the unique dynamics characterizing the society. The findings show that the effectiveness of implementing COVID-19 containment policies such as lockdowns, the cession of movement, working from home, distance learning, and social distancing are affected by other factors such as the nature of jobs, one's income levels, where someone lives, cultural beliefs, access to water, sanitation, internet, and medical facilities. This means that a significant number of people within the society experience a double tragedy from the pandemic and impact of government response measures. Yet most of the existing literature has focused on the causes, spread, and impact of the pandemic on health institutions, economies, and public health with little emphasis on the impact on policy measures especially on the vulnerable segments of the society. This paper, therefore, looks at the question of how the various public health intervention strategies disrupt or construct the livelihood of the already complex informal settlement. It provides policymakers and researchers with a number of questions that can frame policy and research during a pandemic with important consideration to urban informality.

Not the Time to Take Chances! Why African Governments' Response to COVID 19 Matters.

Since independence, African governments have been criticized for either their slow, ineffective, or lack of homegrown solutions when addressing challenges in their respective countries. From economic and development models to dealing with conflicts, governance practices, and planning, overreliance and dependence on external practices which sometimes fail to take into consideration the unique domestic challenges have characterized the response of many African governments. This has, in turn, tainted the image of the continent over their ability to adequately deal with disasters. As the rest of the world is struggling to deal with their share of challenges as a result of the pandemic, it is becoming increasingly important that every country adopts measures that will effectively deal with the spread of the disease. This essay seeks to step back from the seemingly crowded debate over where the next epicentre of COVID 19 will be in Africa and focus on what lessons and measures governments in Africa can adopt during and after the pandemic.

How urban 'informality' can inform response to COVID-19: a research agenda for the future.

In the era of increasingly defined ontological insecurity and uncertainty driven by the ravages of COVID-19, urban informal settlement has emerged as a source of resilience. Indeed, the effects of a pandemic transcends its epidemiological characteristics to political economy and societal resilience. If resilience is the capacity of a system to adapt successfully to significant challenges that threaten the function or development of the human society, then ontological insecurity is about the lack of such capacity. Drawing on Keith Hartian's understanding of 'informality' of spaces, this policy brief attempts to identify and frame a research agenda for the future. The agenda would assist future researchers and policymakers provide responses that appropriately recognize groups and actors that define the urban informal space.