We interviewed healthcare professionals and patients in healthcare systems around the world and collected their perspectives on various themes that reflect their professional and personal experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Themes we worked with included allyship, advocacy, public health and psychological well-being. Recordings of the interviews are accompanied by a comparative analysis and provided in an interactive digital interface on our website, columbiahealthnexus.org. So far, we interviewed 31 healthcare workers and patients from 11 different countries. In the future, we plan to use these interviews to compare public health guidelines with professional perspectives on best practices in pandemic preparedness. All of our research is conducted in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of “Good Health and Well-Being” and “Reduced Inequalities.”

Drawn from our interviews and analyses, our final deliverable will be an illustrated work of fiction with characters based on interviewees in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America. The illustrated work will help tell a story that sheds light on social inequality as it relates to pandemic disease in general. The creation of the book will be overseen by Dr. Rachel Adams and completed by dedicated creative writers and visual artists.

Team Members: