Comparing preparedness of Asia and Europe to COVID-19

The COVID-19 outbreak surprised most of the nations which were ill-prepared to tackle it. We conducted a rapid synthesis to understand which factors determined countries' preparedness to this pandemic. We used 48 articles in our review and organised the factors found in 7 specific themes and one general part. Across our nine selected countries, we found that Asian nations were highly prepared in comparison to European states since the formers faced several epidemics in the last decades and as budget cuts have hit European countries since the 2008 financial crisis. Following preparedness, we briefly reviewed the responses of these selected countries to the COVID-19 pandemic and shared our suggestions regarding possible future outbreaks. As emerging epidemics and pandemics are highly probable soon, we emphasise that nations across the globe should be prepared appropriately to these threats.

Autorentext

As an MSc Health Policy, Planning and Financing alumni from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), with a background in Public Health and Dentistry, I am passionate about finding ways to strengthen national health systems against emerging threats.