Roadmap to endemic Covid-19: Shaping policy and planning in Singapore and USA
This webinar has ended. Watch the recording of the session here.
Date:
Tuesday, 25 January 2022
Time:
9.00am – 10.30am (GMT +8) | Time Zone Converter
Synopsis:
Two years after the emergence of Covid-19, countries around the world are transitioning to an endemic state after the initial period of emergency and concentrating efforts in trying to live with the pandemic.
As experienced in the earlier phases of the pandemic, the role of policy and planning is still of great importance in shaping the direction each country will take, which in turn can influence approaches at a global level.
In this webinar, we will hear about the experiences, lessons learned and plans on the road to endemic Covid-19 in two very different countries on different continents: Singapore and the USA.
Opening Remarks:
Prof Teo Yik Ying
Dean, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore
Assoc Prof Faina Linkov
Department Chair, Rangos School of Health Sciences, Duquesne University
Asst Prof Mark Cantrell
Director of Public Health, Rangos School of Health Sciences, Duquesne University
Speakers:
Prof Fevzi Akinci
Dean, Rangos School of Health Sciences, Duquesne University
Asst Prof Ahmad Khanijahani
Rangos School of Health Sciences, Duquesne University
Dr Marc Ho
Acting Director, Contact Tracing and Epidemiology Centre, Ministry of Health, Singapore
Asst Prof Hannah Clapham
Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore
Moderated by:
Assoc Prof Hsu Li Yang
Vice Dean (Global Health); Programme Leader (Infectious Diseases), Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore
Abstracts
Institutional Response to COVID-19 at Duquesne University
Professor Fevzi Akinci
Dean, Rangos School of Health Sciences, Duquesne University
Duquesne University experienced a significant disruption in both academic and clinical instruction as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020 like many other higher education institutions in the United States. However, the University responded to the pandemic promptly and effectively while reaffirming its commitment to creating an environment where teaching, learning, creative expression, and academic research focused on the free exchange of ideas among a company of scholars can continue and thrive. This presentation will briefly describe Duquesne University’s comprehensive approach to responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, explain the key guiding principles, and presents the key challenges faced and positive outcomes accomplished during the past eighteen months.
Racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in COVID-19 infections and deaths in the United States
Assistant Professor Ahmad Khanijahani
Rangos School of Health Sciences, Duquesne University
This session summarizes the findings from our two recent publications focused on the Socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities in COVID-19 infection and death in the United States. It will focus on the observed differences in disproportionate COVID-19 cases and deaths at the county level and its association with the socioeconomic and racial combination of the county population.
Then, the disproportionate COVID-19 deaths at the county level will be examined with concentrated disadvantage (socioeconomic segregation) and racial segregation at the census tract (neighborhood) level. Finally, potential factors contributing to these disparities will be discussed.
Moving to COVID-19 Resilience: Reflections from a City-State
Dr Marc Ho
Acting Director, Contact Tracing and Epidemiology Centre, Ministry of Health, Singapore
This presentation shares Singapore’s experience in managing the COVID-19 pandemic thus far. It covers steps taken to prevent, detect and respond through a multisectoral, whole-of-society approach, challenges faced and lessons learnt that may help build better preparedness against concurrent and future health emergencies.