for her institution, propelling research on ways to stem health disparities in the United States. Cauce emphasized the role scholarship can play in addressing the hardships that Black and indigenous people, as well as all people of color and women, face during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The pandemic has revealed economic, social, and environmental inequities that have been ignored for too long,” said Cauce, who also is a professor of psychology and American ethnic studies. “We have the opportunity to use this crisis to transform the world, addressing both longstanding inequities and looming crises, such as climate change.” During the discussion, Frenk shared his observations about how nations around the world have responded to COVID-19, including his surprise by the variation in response among nations. For example, in nations with populist leaders that offer isolationist perspectives, he said, often the rates of transmission tend to be the highest because there is a general distrust of scientists. Yetmany countries with female heads of government are taking a more balanced approach by listening to scientists’ advice. These nations have fared much better in their ability to curtail COVID-19 transmission rates, he noted. “The countries that have had the best responses have a disproportionate amount of governments led by women,” Frenk said. “And I hope that one of the effects of this pandemic is it puts to rest the absurd idea that women are not suited for leadership, which is still so prevalent.” Frenk also rejected the notion that governments must choose between protecting people’s health and reviving the economy. “Reactivating the economy while protecting health as twin and synergistic objectives are things we can pursue if we follow the evidence and do not politicize the way we face the pandemic,” he said. Shifting to his own population at the
University of Miami, Frenk explained how he made the decision to welcome students back to campus for blended instruction. He said that his decisions regarding COVID-19 are always grounded in scientific evidence. Armed with information from the IMHE and other sources, his team crafted a set of protocols for campus that included mandatory face coverings, investing in equipment to make physical distancing possible in classrooms, and creating a robust testing and tracing program. “What I saw was a dichotomous discourse, as if being on campus was full risk but telling people to stay at home was no risk. But there are risks in both approaches,” he said. “Using the data, I realized we could actually take
a calculated risk of opening if we did it the right way.” Finally, when asked about the deterioration of trust in science occurring now in the United States regarding COVID-19, Frenk said the strategies used by University leaders could serve as an example. “Universities are committed to the pursuit of truth,” Frenk said. “We understand that truth is never static; it’s a dynamic concept, but we have got to insist on the use of evidence to guide decision-making. This is what we do, and in educating the next generation of leaders, we need to emphasize those values.”
COVID-19 IS RAVAGING LATIN AMERICA Written by Barbara Gutierrez Published on September 3, 2020 Category: University of Miami President, Faculty, Event
In a virtual seminar hosted Wednesday by the Institute for Advanced Study of the Americas and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, participants presented projections for deaths in the region. Latin America continues to be a “hot spot” for COVID-19. The region has just 8 percent of the world’s population, yet it accounts for 43 percent of the deaths worldwide. “At the end of the year, the first cause of death in Latin America will be COVID-19,” said Rafael Lozano, director of Health Systems at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at
the University of Washington. Lozano presented his findings during the online conference “COVID-19 in the Americas: Policies and Perspectives,” sponsored by the University of Miami Institute for Advanced Study of the Americas and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. He was joined by University President Julio Frenk, a medical doctor and global public health expert who was the former minister of health of Mexico, and Felicia Knaul, health economist and professor at the Miller School of Medicine and director of the
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