Gone with the Pandemic: The ABC of restoring business health and confidence

The pandemic not only claimed the lives of loved ones, healthcare workers and thousands of people unable to get a vaccine or adequate medical care, it also wiped out thousands of jobs, generating an unprecedented economic crisis that served to prove just how essential health and wellness are for the global economy.

COVID-19 elicited catastrophic evidence of how ill-prepared governments and their health systems are to deal with health emergencies, and also the lack of support for health professionals who lack the equipment, hospital infrastructure, clinical supplies and in some cases medicines to help their patients.

The pandemic’s most tenacious impact  has been felt by patients whose health has deteriorated over the course of two years, as they have been left without medical services, medication, complete vaccination schedules and support services, not to mention the basic necessities to maintain their level of health and quality of life.

Before 2020, governments had failed to prioritize global healthcare until it was too late; and the results have been disastrous. Governments were unprepared for a pandemic of this magnitude, as they had reduced investment in healthcare and failed to bolster their healthcare systems.

The pandemic posed challenges for all actors in the health sector, governments, the medical community, and pharmaceutical, device and health technology companies. The latter, a sector highly criticised for a lack of transparency and responsiveness in demonstrating the value of research and development of molecules and technologies that help minimise the impact of diseases and contribute to a healthier and more productive society.

We will review here the impact of the pandemic on service delivery and the provision of healthcare supplies and analyse current needs and possible solutions for how governments and businesses can work together to restore confidence and, more importantly, make up for lost years in terms of public health and wellness.