Today, everyone interested in health issues is consumed with the uncertainty of the global response to COVID19. While I would ordinarily write an editorial about the articles published in this issue of healthcare for Women International, I frankly need to take care of the personal needs of my family at this time.
I find myself reflecting on the hand-washing advice from the Center for Disease Control in the United States. While indoor plumbing is taken for granted by most Americans, my mind wonders to a Nairobi slum where clean water, personal hygiene products, and soap remain in short supply. I also think about villages in Central Vietnam that have no water. Vietnamese Americans told me this is the consequence of a dam built by the Chinese to keep that water for themselves. In the background I hear the voice of my President on the television saying the virus is under control and the similar message given to citizens of Brazil by their president. It is not under control here, and it is not under control in Brazil. Politicians underestimate the knowledge of concerned citizens. Their lies fuel havoc in both countries.
Individually, I can do nothing that matters. I share with you my prayer for the successful collaboration of global scholars and practitioners who are attempting to eradicate COVID19. Other viral issues will surely emerge if we don’t find a way to work together. Later, we can publish a table indicating the contributions of scholars in this issue.
Editor-in-Chief