Health Policies and Implementation

        The implementation of a health policy, program, or any endeavor entails different facets of societal realities. Hence, careful analysis and thorough studies are prerequisites for the construction of feasible, practical, and efficient governmental ventures in health. It is challenging to separate health from other social elements or factors. Poverty, war, internal conflicts, the economy, political climate, and societal upheavals exert a significant influence on the state of public health. Suffice it to say, policy-makers, health coordinators, and health officials must be fully aware and informed in this web of intricacies inherent in any place or society.

    The COVID-19 health crisis has presented us with challenges never before experienced in human history. While the Bubonic Plague or Black Death killed 25-30 million people in Medieval Europe (Cartwright, 2020), it was at least contained in that part of the world, owing to lesser travel and migration activities at the time. In contrast, present-day means of transportation, particularly air travel, have enabled mass movements of people across continents in just a matter of a few hours. More so, the globalization trend necessitated business travels and migration, consequently increasing the “traffic” of people in many parts of the world. Subsequently, governmental efforts in containing the spread of the COVID-19 virus have become complicated and sometimes controversial. Take, for example, the case of the U.S., where Democrats accused President Donald Trump of not acting swiftly early on to stop the spread of the virus. Flashback to January 31, 2020, President Trump signed an executive order denying non-U.S. citizens, except for permanent residents and immediate family of citizens, from entering the country if they have been in China within the last two weeks (Eban, 2020). The Democrats, however, contended that the President should have restricted flights from China a month before, having known of the outbreak in China as early as December 2019, thus blaming him for the outbreak, and later the pandemic that engulfed the entire country. The White House chimed in, reasoning that at the time, they were concerned that stopping people from China from entering the US would result in economic fallout, as China is the largest trading partner of the U.S. Simply put, there would be economic repercussions.

      Now, the above scenario can also be gleaned in the context of the Philippine situation at the early stages of the pandemic. On January 31, 2020, the Philippines banned the entry of travelers coming from affected areas in China. Two days later, the country expanded the ban to the entire nation of China, Macau, and Hong Kong. It is worth noting that even before January 31, there was already a growing public outcry to restrict the entry of foreigners into the country, with travelers from China at the top of the list. The former Health Secretary, Francisco Duque, defended the country’s “delayed” response, saying that a ban on Chinese tourists would trigger “political and economic repercussions.” The opposition, led by Vice-President Leni Robredo, was quick to point out that the real reason behind President Rodrigo Duterte’s delayed response or reluctance to issue a ban was because of his administration’s warm ties with China.

China, for its part, defended its long-held position that it is also a victim of the COVID- 19 pandemic and is doing its best to contain the virus. Moreover, its Foreign Ministry office has released a statement stating, “There is no conclusive evidence that the virus originated in China” (Deccanherald.com, 2020). Consequently, Chinese officials have reiterated that China is also a victim of the pandemic's impact.

        The point of the discussion here is the difficulty in making decisions in public health matters. Future public health officers or public administrators should possess wisdom and knowledge to help them make good decisions, those that are workable, cost-effective, and ultimately improve the health and well-being of people. Achieving this is not a “walk in the park,” as realities of the socio-cultural and political landscape can hinder officials, at times confuse them while deciphering solutions to health problems. As shown in the COVID-19 issue, it is understandable that economic factors must also be considered in formulating policies about health, which is why banning or restricting foreigners may not be a good idea in the long term. Similarly, we cannot have lockdowns forever, as prolonging them will only put the economy in a downward spiral, resulting in chaos and anarchy. Government leaders and administrators must make wise and appropriate judgments before they decide or act on an impending health crisis or problem. Leaders, administrators, or elected officials must make sure that every decision they execute promotes the common good of all and alleviates human suffering.

Mark Anthony Salve, Ph.D.