WHO Doctor Speaks At OU Med Event On Social Justice & COVID-19

The Director of the World Health Organization Center on National and Global Health Law addressed Oklahoma doctors Tuesday.

Dr. Lawrence Gostin said all his years of practice, he has never faced a problem like COVID-19.

In an event hosted by OU Med, local health professionals asked Gostin questions. Many asked how to convince an increasingly skeptical public that science is not up for debate.

“If you were to ask me, what was the single greatest risk factor for doing poorly on COVID-19 response, it would be the failure to embrace science,” Gostin said.

Gostin said regardless of response, a vaccine likely won't be a silver bullet. He also mentioned concern over inequality within immunization distribution.

“COVID-19 has really amplified injustice, and its amplified it in ways that have become very, very visible,” Gostin said.

Despite all these problems, Gostin said he believes the country has the potential to win the ongoing battle against this virus.

“The only way that we can get ourselves out and to make ourselves resilient and just going forward is to work together toward global health with justice,” Gostin said.