Advocating for a just recovery for all as we mobilize
for a brighter post-pandemic future
About Us
As we face one of the greatest challenges for public health in several generations with the COVID-19 pandemic, we also have an unprecedented opportunity as governments and citizens prepare for a post-COVID future that we hope will not be simply restoring everything to the way it was.
The pandemic has been described as climate change at warp speed. But the response to this "greatest challenge" has been quite different. Since this is such a ripe opportunity for learning, we (several eco-health colleagues and the SFU Planetary Health research group, and the BC Climate and Health Network) have organized these webinars with more in planning stages.
We began by exploring the origins of the outbreak with lessons from the animal-human interface. We then learned from previous economic collapses and what these lessons teach us about the coming weeks and months as we emerge from the current wave of disease and economic devastation to become a healthier planet than before the current pandemic. We explore the relationships and resources needed for a recovery that makes us stronger and better able to face the challenges to planetary health that in the longer term are even more critical than the COVID-19 pandemic, but that appears less imminent to society.
We have taken lessons in inequities, exposed by disparities in mortality and morbidity by location, air pollution levels, occupation and socioeconomic status. We heard inspirational stories from Ebola-ready countries in Africa, about resilience and bouncing forward not back; international efforts towards a green new deal for health and protecting gains in UN sustainable development goals. Our primary goal is to articulate a shared vision of this future where instead of bouncing back, society bounces forward to a better place than our pre-pandemic world.
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To check out our past webinars, use the drop-down bar at the top of this page, or click here.
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If you are interested in presenting at a webinar, please contact
Dr. Maya Gislason at maya_gislason@sfu.ca or Jaclyn Parks at jaclynp@sfu.ca.
