Public health experts are increasingly recognizing that biomedical advances alone cannot prevent pandemics. Perry N. Halkitis, dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health, argues that the greatest drivers of pandemics are often human—emotions, beliefs, political systems, and social conditions—not just the biology of pathogens themselves.
Halkitis points to recent evidence supporting this shift in thinking. This year’s flu season, described as the worst in two decades, along with approximately 30,000 new HIV infections reported annually and continued rises in other sexually transmitted infections and COVID-19 deaths demonstrate that biomedical tools alone are insufficient. While this year’s flu vaccine played an important role in protecting people from severe illness and hospitalization despite being less effective at preventing infection than hoped, the uptake of updated COVID-19 vaccines remains alarmingly low. Many everyday prevention behaviors embraced during the pandemic—staying home when sick, masking in crowded settings, and frequent handwashing—are steadily declining.
The Human Dimensions of Disease
Human beings do not always make health decisions based purely on scientific evidence. Decisions are shaped by emotions, personal experiences, cultural norms, and political environments. During COVID-19, emotions and political identity powerfully influenced responses to masking, vaccination, and other preventive measures. False information perpetuated by anti-scientific bias, news media distributing false data, and political systems that undermine prevention efforts all exacerbate these challenges.
Building a Human-Centered Approach
Halkitis advocates for what many describe as a biopsychosocial perspective, considering biological factors alongside psychological and social ones. This requires understanding how social inequities, economic conditions, political forces, and cultural beliefs influence health behaviors. Public health professionals must build trust within communities by listening to people, understanding their concerns, and working together to develop solutions reflecting their lived experiences. Public health schools must train the next generation to understand not only infectious disease science and epidemiology but also the psychology of health behavior, the impact of social inequities, and the importance of communication and trust-building.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.newswise.com/articles/why-preventing-the-next-pandemic-involves-humanizing-public-health/?sc=rsla