Abstract
This article analyzes how the neoliberal policies, such as the politics of austerity (with considerable cuts to social policy expenditures including medical care and public health services) and the privatization of health services, imposed by many governments on both sides of the North Atlantic, considerably weakened the capacity of the response to the coronavirus pandemic in Italy, Spain, and the United States.
Highlights
I explored some important elements that contributed to the spreading of the current epidemic – pandemic – caused by a new Coronavirus
An important one has been the behavior of the large pharmaceutical companies that systematically prioritize their objective of maximizing profits over any other ends, such as preventing and/or curing illnesses
Former President Ronald Reagan in the United States and former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the United Kingdom started these policies at the end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s, and they were continued in Europe by conservative, liberal, and even socialdemocratic governments
Summary
Many countries in the world have either universal medical care or universal health insurance systems, which allow for a better response to the damage caused by the pandemic. Conditions that favor a positive response to the pandemic include: (1) strong and mature health and social systems, along with (2) a comprehensive strategy for attacking the epidemic This includes the ability to (3) detect infected individuals and (4) attend to those who have had or develop the disease, which involves ensuring that the health system maintains its capacity to attend to a growing number of patients and that the necessary professional resources to do so are guaranteed. The existence of each one of these characteristics is an indicator of public and collective commitment and solidarity against a common threat that society faces as a whole These conditions are good bases for evaluating each country’s response to the epidemic
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