Social capital and public health: responding to the COVID-19 pandemic
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(2020) 16:88
COMMENTARY
Open Access
Social capital and public health: responding to the COVID-19 pandemic Anna S. Y. Wong1
and Jillian C. Kohler1,2*
Abstract Background: As countries continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of ensuring that fair and equal access to healthcare for all is more urgent than ever. Policies that promote social capital building along all levels of society may offer an important avenue for improved healthcare delivery and health systems strengthening in the COVID-19 response. Main body: In reference to the established and emerging literature on social capital and health, we explore the role of social capital in the COVID-19 health policy response. We analyse current research with respect to mental health, public health policy compliance, and the provision of care for vulnerable populations, and highlight how considerations of bonding, bridging, and linking capital can contribute to health systems strengthening in the context of the COVID-19 response and recovery effort. Conclusions: This article argues that considerations of social capital – including virtual community building, fostering solidarity between high-risk and low-risk groups, and trust building between decision-makers, healthcare workers, and the public – offer a powerful frame of reference for understanding how response and recovery programs can be best implemented to effectively ensure the inclusive provision of COVID-19 health services. Keywords: Social capital, Health policy, COVID-19, Mental health, Health access
Background The global response to COVID-19 has required decisiveness, resilience, and resolve from governments around the world. However, economic, legal, technological, geographic, and cultural barriers can limit the ability of a government to effectively respond to critical public health needs. The intricate network of stakeholders that operate within and interconnect with the public health space is an essential component of a health system’s response. In this context, considerations of social capital emerge as a powerful frame of reference for understanding how health interventions may be best implemented * Correspondence: [email protected] 1 World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Governance, Accountability, and Transparency in the Pharmaceutical Sector, 144 College St, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3M2, Canada 2 University of Toronto Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, 144 College St, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3M2, Canada
to effectively ensure an inclusive extension of health services for all members of society. It is patently clear that if a population group is excluded from accessing the health system and its attendant services and products, the efficacy of any pandemic response or recovery program may be severely undermined. Putnam conceptualizes social capital as the behaviour of social networks and relationships, characterized by the qualitative presence of enhanced trust and reciprocity [1]. Within the field of public health, social capital has been studied by many scholars
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