LAUSR

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented disruption of all aspects of living. In this sense, it is a complex disaster and a humanitarian event. Lockdowns have caused economic displacement and food shortages; stigma and fear have gripped communities; families have been devastated by premature and unexpected deaths. Where there was distrust in government authority and lack of transparency in governance, public health interventions that restrict freedom of movement have created political tensions and even chaos. The risks for vulnerable groups are magnified during lockdowns, exacerbating marginalization or exclusion based on race, ethnicity, age, disability, gender or socioeconomic status. Epidemiology was the most important public health tool for addressing the pandemic in the early part of World Health Organization’s (WHO) response. It soon became clear that surviving and thriving beyond the pandemic would require more than an epidemiological approach, and in particular that health promotion approaches were needed, involving people through strong community engagement and actions to improve health literacy in the settings where people live, work, learn and play. On 30 March 2020, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) Societies, Asia Pacific Regional Office and WHO teamed up in a virtual meeting to discuss Health Promotion and COVID-19 with representatives from over 20 National Societies in Asia and the Pacific. Through this initiative, WHO recognized the importance of community engagement and health literacy in national approaches to addressing the pandemic. This article reflects the discussion of using health promotion principles and humanitarian values in response to COVID-19, citing specific statements made in the meeting by health promotion experts from WHO and the health promotion community.