COVID EFFECT

Health emergencies such as COVID-19 pose a global risk and have shown the critical need for preparedness. The United Nations Development Programme highlighted huge disparities in countries' abilities to cope with and recover from the COVID-19 crisis. The pandemic provides a watershed moment for health emergency preparedness and for investment in critical 21st century public services.

The uptick in these corrosive factors is obvious, with a worrying trend of increasing needs, as reports state that one in six adults in the European Union suffered from some form of mental illness before the pandemic.

This is fueling the rise and worsening of ailments such as insomnia, depression and stress, while people with pre-existing conditions are also more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection and potentially at higher risk of severe symptoms.