“Nothing compromises your sovereignty more than having an out-ofcontrol pandemic killing thousands and thousands of your citizens and an economic crisis destroying jobs—that is the real threat to security and sovereignty,” he said. Frenk, a global public health expert in his sixth year as University president, also expressed his hope that policymakers would maintain funding for public health research and innovation beyond the current pandemic crisis. “For an infinitesimal fraction of the cost of the stimulus packages that had to be enacted to mitigate the economic consequences, we could advance a much better permanent system of surveillance and response capabilities,” he said. He noted, too, the increased respect for science that has emerged from the devastating virus. “Experts are not elitists who look down on ordinary people—that’s the type of discourse that populist leaders try to exploit— but instead they are people who are there to orient us all,” he remarked. “Experts like Dr. (Anthony) Fauci and so many others have become folk
heroes, at least for a big part of the population, and it’s brought home the value of science, which is what’s going to get us out of this,” Frenk added. The purpose and role of higher education has been heightened as a result of the current crisis, according to Frenk. “The pandemic has brought to the forefront the historic role that universities play: our educational mission preparing the future leaders, the most educated component of the workforce, and also most of the research— the testing of drugs and vaccines— has been carried out in universities and research centers,” he said, noting that the University has been active in the clinical trials that have prompted anticipation for a COVID-19 vaccine. He also pointed out the historic role of universities as exemplary institutions. “Through the values we embrace and the behaviors we exhibit, we set an example to the larger society of which they are a part,” he said. “Especially at a time when people are so polarized, the value of using reason, respectful disagreement—not to achieve unanimity but to be able to disagree in a respective way—are
critical to civil discourse.”. He urged universities in Latin America, the region, and the world to better address the values of diversity and counter deepening social inequalities. “We must refocus on our role as the most legitimate avenue for upward social mobility,” Frenk said. “At a time of growing inequality, our role as the most legitimate avenue for upward mobility is going to be absolutely crucial.”
University of Miami President Julio Frenk
COVID-19 LESSONS FROM PERU AND ARGENTINA Written by Veronica Bustabad Published on October 26, 2020 Category: Faculty, Event The University of Miami Institute for Advanced Study of the Americas (UMIA) held a webinar on September 30th that focused on the COVID-19 outbreaks in Latin America — the region has become the epicenter of the pandemic, accounting for a disproportionate number of COVID-19 cases and deaths globally. The webinar provided an overview of the social, political, and economic factors contributing to the spread of the virus. Felicia Knaul, Ph.D., director of UMIA and professor at the Miller School of Medicine’s Department of Public Health Sciences, moderated the discussion.
“Peru and Argentina are two countries in Latin America that have been suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dr. Knaul said. “Both countries have had very interesting trajectories in terms of their public policies and efforts to control and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The cases of Peru and Argentina provide us with a regional perspective on health and health systems in the region.” Guest speakers included Patricia J. Garcia, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., professor at Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru, and Adolfo Rubinstein, M.D., M.Sc., Ph.D., director of the Center of Implementation and Innovation in Health Policies at the Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy. Drs. Garcia and Rubin-
stein — former ministers of health in Peru and Argentina — discussed the COVID-19 pandemic and the public policy response in their respective countries. Both speakers mentioned that longstanding social and health disparities, political instability, a significant population of working poor (known as the informal sector), and fragmented and underbudgeted health systems exacerbated the COVID-19 pandemic in the region. PERU’S RESPONSE In response to the pandemic, Peru conducted 1.5 million rapid tests, which were used to identify new COVID-19 cases and contacts and
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