By Alessandra Suuberg, Decency LLC
In recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic brought public attention to the intersections between healthcare and national security.
This year, news headlines in new contexts further highlighted the extent to which healthcare can be affected, used, or watched by governments and defense communities around the world.
From Gaza, Ukraine, and the UK, here are some of the stories that made headlines this fall:
Healthcare and the Conflict in Gaza
As of November 2023, the conflict in Gaza is ongoing, and news coverage frequently describes its impact on the healthcare system.
On October 13, NPR cited the World Health Organization, “warn[ing] that the health system in Gaza [was] at a breaking point.” NPR also reported that “a lot of pharmacies [had] shuttered,” and those remaining open were “practically empty.”
On November 6, Time reported that conditions for medical care were deteriorating in Gaza, with 12 hospitals having closed and “roughly two dozen hospitals still operating.”
Mandatory Military Registration for Healthcare Workers in Ukraine
On October 7, the Parliament of Ukraine adopted legal changes making military registration mandatory for women in professions related to medical or pharmaceutical activities.
In September, The Kyiv Independent had reported that these women, similar to Ukrainian men ages 18 to 60, would “not be able to leave the country without special permission” and could be “called up at any moment for military service.”
In the UK: Genomics as Critical National Infrastructure?
In September, Reuters reported that Britain was considering designating its genomics sector as critical national infrastructure (CNI).
According to Reuters, a CNI designation can have implications in terms of the scrutiny to which contracts and research are subject in the sector.
Disclaimer: The information and opinions on this site do not include legal advice or the advice of a licensed healthcare provider.