The coronavirus pandemic laid bare Scotland’s health struggles, revealing a nation with serious underlying issues. Public health expert Devi Sridhar believes the country must rethink its approach, shifting from individual wellness to a broader societal commitment to health.
A Nation Struggling With Health
Scotland’s public health weaknesses became glaringly obvious when Covid-19 struck. According to Sridhar, chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, the country entered the crisis in a fragile state.
“It has less to do with individuals and more to do with the country you live in – the politics, the economics, and the society,” she told STV News.
Sridhar argues that some nations fared better because they had healthier populations to begin with. Countries with better public health infrastructure, widespread access to healthcare, and lower levels of chronic disease handled the pandemic more effectively.
Moving Beyond Individual Responsibility
A key message from Sridhar is that personal fitness alone won’t fix Scotland’s health issues. Instead, she calls for a collective effort, emphasizing policies that promote health at a national level.
“How do we get politicians to value our health – whether it’s access to healthcare, what we eat, or the air we breathe?” she asked.
Her argument is clear: structural changes in healthcare, nutrition, and environmental policies are just as crucial as medical breakthroughs. Vaccines are vital, but so is a long-term commitment to preventing illness in the first place.
Inequality Widened During the Pandemic
The pandemic didn’t affect everyone equally. Instead, it deepened existing disparities.
- Those already in good health tended to manage better and even became fitter.
- People with pre-existing conditions or limited access to healthcare faced worse outcomes.
- Health inequalities became more pronounced, showing the urgent need for systemic reform.
Sridhar points out that fixing this gap isn’t just about telling individuals to live healthier lives. It’s about ensuring that resources, policies, and investments bring the most vulnerable groups up to the same level as those who were less affected.
What Needs to Change?
Public health experts like Sridhar stress that Scotland must focus on several key areas to improve overall health and pandemic resilience.
| Area of Concern | Proposed Improvements |
|---|---|
| Healthcare Access | Increase NHS funding and appointment availability |
| Nutrition & Diet | Promote healthier eating habits and regulate food industries |
| Air Quality | Implement stricter environmental policies |
| Physical Activity | Invest in community fitness programs and infrastructure |
Each of these areas requires serious government attention and financial commitment. Without significant changes, the next health crisis could hit Scotland just as hard, if not harder.
Could Another Pandemic Bring Lockdowns?
Five years have passed since Boris Johnson urged the UK to “stay at home.” The lockdowns that followed disrupted lives for years, and people still wonder if something similar could happen again. Sridhar believes strict government-imposed lockdowns might not be feasible in the future.
“I think what you probably would likely see is when people saw their friends getting ill, their family members heard what was happening in hospitals, they might change their own behaviour in a way that protects themselves,” she said.
Instead of top-down mandates, future pandemics might see people making individual choices to protect themselves. The pandemic showed that when people perceive real danger, they often take precautions on their own, without government orders.
For now, Sridhar hopes this remains a theoretical discussion. But if Scotland doesn’t address its health problems, it might not have the luxury of avoiding these tough decisions in the future.
