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Galappaththi EK, Perera CD, Dharmasiri IP, Ford JD, Kodithuwakku SS, Chicmana-Zapata V, Zavaleta-Cortijo C, Pickering K, van Bavel B, Hyams K, Arotoma-Rojas I, Akugre FA, Nkalubo J, Namanya DB, Mensah A, Hangula MM. Policy responses to COVID-19 in Sri Lanka and the consideration of Indigenous Peoples. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY 2023; 144:110-123. [PMID: 36949900 PMCID: PMC10011033 DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2023.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 has had uneven impacts on health and well-being, with Indigenous communities in the Global South facing some of the highest risks. Focusing on the experience of Sri Lanka, this study identifies key policy responses to COVID-19, documents how they evolved over two years of the pandemic, and examines if and how government responses have addressed issues pertaining to Indigenous Peoples. Drawing upon an analysis of policy documents (n = 110) and interviews with policymakers (n = 20), we characterize seven key policy responses implemented by the Sri Lankan government: i) testing for and identifying COVID-19; ii) quarantine procedures; iii) provisional clinical treatments; iv) handling other diseases during COVID-19; v) movement; vi) guidelines to be adhered to by the general public; and vii) health and vaccination. The nature of these responses changed as the pandemic progressed. There is no evidence that policy development or implementation incorporated the voices and needs of Indigenous Peoples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eranga K Galappaththi
- Department of Geography, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, United States
| | - Chrishma D Perera
- Department of Geography, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, United States
- University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - Indunil P Dharmasiri
- Department of Geography, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, United States
| | - James D Ford
- Priestley International Centre for Climate, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Sarath S Kodithuwakku
- Department of Agricultural Economics & Business Management, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
| | - Victoria Chicmana-Zapata
- Unidad de Ciudadanía Intercultural y Salud Indígena (UCISI), Facultad de Salud Pública y Administración, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Carol Zavaleta-Cortijo
- Unidad de Ciudadanía Intercultural y Salud Indígena (UCISI), Facultad de Salud Pública y Administración, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | | | - Bianca van Bavel
- Priestley International Centre for Climate, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Keith Hyams
- Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Ingrid Arotoma-Rojas
- Priestley International Centre for Climate, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jonathan Nkalubo
- Uganda National Health Research Organization & Mulago National Referral Hospital, Uganda
| | - Didacus Bambaiha Namanya
- Ministry of Health-Uganda National Health Research Organisation, & Uganda Martyrs, University, Uganda
| | - Adelina Mensah
- Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Martha M Hangula
- Department of Animal Production, Agribusiness and Economics, University of Namibia, Namibia
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Tiwari S, Petrov AN, Devlin M, Welford M, Golosov N, DeGroote J, Degai T, Ksenofontov S. The second year of pandemic in the Arctic: examining spatiotemporal dynamics of the COVID-19 "Delta wave" in Arctic regions in 2021. Int J Circumpolar Health 2022; 81:2109562. [PMID: 35976076 PMCID: PMC9387323 DOI: 10.1080/22423982.2022.2109562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The second year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Arctic was dominated by the Delta wave that primarily lasted between July and December 2021 with varied epidemiological outcomes. An analysis of the Arctic's subnational COVID-19 data revealed a massive increase in cases and deaths across all its jurisdictions but at varying time periods. However, the case fatality ratio (CFR) in most Arctic regions did not rise dramatically and was below national levels (except in Northern Russia). Based on the spatiotemporal patterns of the Delta outbreak, we identified four types of pandemic waves across Arctic regions: Tsunami (Greenland, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Northern Norway, Northern Finland, and Northern Canada), Superstorm (Alaska), Tidal wave (Northern Russia), and Protracted Wave (Northern Sweden). These regionally varied COVID-19 epidemiological dynamics are likely attributable to the inconsistency in implementing public health prevention measures, geographical isolation, and varying vaccination rates. A lesson remote and Indigenous communities can learn from the Arctic is that the three-prong (delay-prepare-respond) approach could be a tool in curtailing the impact of COVID-19 or future pandemics. This article is motivated by previous research that examined the first and second waves of the pandemic in the Arctic. Data are available at https://arctic.uni.edu/arctic-covid-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sweta Tiwari
- ARCTICenter, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA
- Department of Geography, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA
| | - Andrey N. Petrov
- ARCTICenter, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA
- Department of Geography, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA
| | - Michele Devlin
- ARCTICenter, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA
- Center for Strategic Leadership, USA Army War College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Mark Welford
- Department of Geography, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA
| | - Nikolay Golosov
- Department of Geography, Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - John DeGroote
- Department of Geography, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA
| | - Tatiana Degai
- ARCTICenter, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Stanislav Ksenofontov
- ARCTICenter, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA
- Department of Geography, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA
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