The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the social injustices that are holding back equity in health and care.
People living in poverty and deprivation are some of the hardest to reach and easiest to leave behind.
This means poor people are absorbing much of the brunt of the pandemic’s impacts, faced with challenges that leave them among the worst affected by the virus and exacerbating the struggles they already carry.
Last summer, the Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College Health Partners and Imperial College London were successful in being named as one of the five Network Data Labs (NDL) across the UK, funded by the Health Foundation.
This is an extremely exciting opportunity for our partnership. We have the opportunity to work with our local community in North West London to identify research priorities for health and care since COVID-19, and translate those findings into practice – helping to reduce inequalities.
In North West London we are also very fortunate to have access to a linked data set, known as Discover.
Throughout the pandemic, we have seen a rapid increase in the use of digital technology to deliver healthcare.
IGHI is home to a team of staff who are skilled and passionate about their roles. Our talented people are the reason we’re able to tackle some of the most pressing global health challenges through cutting-edge innovation.
“We’re in this together.” One year ago, on 11th March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic.
Back then, little over 100,000 cases had been reported globally. Today that number is 1,000 times greater and growing ceaselessly.
With a barely known virus rippling across the world, so too did fear and uncertainty spread as the WHO Director-General addressed all people and nations to make the declaration. Shifting the focus from COVID-19 to people and unity, Dr Tedros also sparked glimmers of optimism by emphasising that innovation and learning would be integral to saving lives and minimising the impact of the pandemic.
At the Institute of Global Health Innovation, we’re proud to have a community that includes a diverse range of women working in various disciplines.
When we’re having issues with our health, as well as visiting the doctor or hospital, one option we have is purchasing over-the-counter (OTC) medicines to treat ourselves at home.
OTC drugs can be purchased without a prescription from a doctor. They tend to be affordable and have low production costs.
My move from paediatric intensive care nursing to research nursing was a natural and exciting one. Both roles require excellent communication skills, whether that’s talking to patients and their families, or members of the multidisciplinary team.
Growing up in a Caribbean family that had experienced various traumas and challenges, I had some awareness of how mental illness impacted myself and my relatives. However, it wasn’t until I attended a masterclass last year on Black mental health hosted by BAME in Psychiatry & Psychology and the Centre of Pan African Thought that I realised the nuanced challenges faced by members of the Black community.
IGHI is home to a team of staff who are skilled and passionate about their roles. Our talented people are the reason we’re able to tackle some of the most pressing global health challenges through cutting-edge innovation.