Global human security in the post-COVID-19 era: The rising role of East Asia.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Shibuya K
PROVIDER: S-EPMC9282514 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Global human security in the post-COVID-19 era: The rising role of East Asia.
Shibuya Kenji K Tan Chorh Chuan CC Chun Asaph Young AY Leung Gabriel M GM
PLoS medicine 20220714 7
Kenji Shibuya and coauthors discuss the potential contribution of East Asian countries to global health in the light of COVID-19. ...[more]
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Project description:Introduction: Following the introduction of the Global Health Security Index (GHSI), the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) pandemic emerged as an unprecedented global health crisis, underscoring the need for robust health security frameworks and preparedness measures. This study conducts a scoping review to analyze the existing literature on the GHSI and assess national COVID‑19 responses across different countries. Method: A comprehensive search of electronic databases (EBSCO, EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) was conducted for articles published from 2020 to 2024. Search terms included "Global Health Security Index" and terms related to COVID‑19. The study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‑analyses for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA‑ScR) guidelines. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS), adjusted for cross‑sectional studies, was used for quality assessment. Results: A total of 3,243 studies were identified, of which 20 were finalized for data synthesis. Specific COVID‑19 parameters were analyzed to provide a comprehensive overview of each country's pandemic response capacity. Among the selected studies, 17 (85%) had a low risk of bias, while 3 (15%) had a medium risk. Countries' response capacities were categorized into five key parameters: detection, mortality, transmission, fatality, and recovery. Findings revealed significant discrepancies between GHSI scores and actual national responses, with some high‑scoring countries struggling to control the pandemic. This raises concerns about the GHSI's predictive reliability. Conclusion: The study highlights that the GHSI does not fully capture a country's capacity to respond effectively to COVID‑19. However, it remains a valuable tool for identifying gaps in pandemic preparedness. To enhance its relevance, the index should integrate a wider range of factors, including political leadership, governance, public health infrastructure, and socio‑cultural elements, which are crucial in managing public health emergencies.
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Project description:This study leverages satellite remote sensing to investigate the impact of the coronavirus outbreak and the resulting lockdown of public venues on air pollution levels in East Asia. We analyze data from the Sentinel-5P and the Himawari-8 satellites to examine concentrations of NO2, HCHO, SO2, and CO, and the aerosol optical depth (AOD) over the BTH, Wuhan, Seoul, and Tokyo regions in February 2019 and February 2020. Results show that most of the concentrations of pollutants are lower than those of February 2019. Compared to other pollutants, NO2 experienced the most significant reductions by almost 54%, 83%, 33%, and 19% decrease in BTH, Wuhan, Seoul, and Tokyo, respectively. The greatest reductions in pollutants occurred in Wuhan, with a decrease of almost 83%, 11%, 71%, and 4% in the column densities of NO2, HCHO, SO2, and CO, respectively, and a decrease of about 62% in the AOD. Although NO2, CO, and formaldehyde concentrations decreased in the Seoul and Tokyo metropolitan areas compared to the previous year, concentrations of SO2 showed an increase in these two regions due to the effect of transport from polluted upwind regions. We also show that meteorological factors were not the main reason for the dramatic reductions of pollutants in the atmosphere. Moreover, an investigation of the HCHO/NO2 ratio shows that in many regions of East China, particularly in Wuhan, ozone production in February 2020 is less NOX saturated during the daytime than it was in February 2019. With large reductions in the concentrations of NO2 during lockdown situations, we find that significant increases in surface ozone in East China from February 2019 to February 2020 are likely the result of less reaction of NO and O3 caused by significantly reduced NOX concentrations and less NOX saturation in East China during the daytime.
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Project description:BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic increased attention to digital tools to support governmental public health policies in East and South-East Asia. Mobile apps related to the COVID-19 pandemic continue to emerge and evolve with a wide variety of characteristics and functions. However, there is a paucity of studies evaluating such apps in this region, with most of the available studies conducted in the early days of the pandemic.ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine free apps developed or supported by governments in the East and South-East Asian region and highlight their key characteristics and functions. We also sought to interpret how the release dates of these apps were related to the commencement dates of other COVID-19 public health policies.MethodsWe systematically searched for apps in Apple App Store and Google Play Store and analyzed the contents of eligible apps. Mobile apps released or updated with COVID-19-related functions between March 1 and May 7, 2021, in Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, China (mainland), Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines were included. The CoronaNet Research Project database was also examined to determine the timeline of public health policy commencement dates in relation to the release dates of the included apps. We assessed each app's official website, media reports, and literature through content analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize relevant information gathered from the mobile apps using RStudio.ResultsOf the 1943 mobile apps initially identified, 46 were eligible, with almost 70% of the apps being intended for the general public. Most apps were from Vietnam (n=9, 20%), followed by Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand (n=6 each, 13%). Of note, most apps for quarantine monitoring (n=6, 13%) were mandatory for the target users or a population subset. The most common function was health monitoring (32/46, 70%), followed by raising public health awareness (19/46, 41%) through education and information dissemination. Other functions included monitoring quarantine (12/46, 26%), providing health resources (12/46, 26%). COVID-19 vaccination management functions began to appear in parallel with vaccine rollout (7/46, 15%). Regarding the timing of the introduction of mobile solutions, the majority of mobile apps emerged close to the commencement dates of other public health policies in the early stages of the pandemic between March and April 2020.ConclusionsIn East and South-East Asia, most governments used mobile health apps as adjuncts to public health measures for tracking COVID-19 cases and delivering credible information. In addition, these apps have evolved by expanding their functions for COVID-19 vaccination.
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