Structural underfunding and misinformation erode US pandemic resilience, experts warn
Original framing: “‘We’re not ready’: US lags on pandemic preparedness after Covid, experts say” — The Guardian - World
Marginalized communities, particularly in the Global South, have long experienced underfunded healthcare systems. Their voices are often excluded from policy discussions, despite their lived experience with health inequities.
The current hantavirus outbreak is not an isolated event but a symptom of deeper systemic failures in public health infrastructure, exacerbated by political underfunding and the erosion of scientific trust.
Indigenous and community-based models offer alternative pathways that emphasize resilience and equity. By integrating these models with scientific evidence and global cooperation, we can build a more robust and inclusive pandemic response system. The lessons from past failures and non-Western approaches must inform future planning to ensure that no community is left behind.