HEALTH
Trust – the basis for health and democracy
Since Covid-19, health issues divide people. Those with the power to make change must consider the establishment of trust as a key public health goal and a critical factor for the survival of democracies
T hroughout the G7 members we are witnessing a significant trust gap in government and its institutions, including in public health. This is partly a response to the measures taken – or not taken – during the Covid-19 pandemic, but, as recent surveys show, the lack of trust goes much deeper and has been developing over a longer time. A recent report by the Pew Research Center showed that a median of nearly 60% of people surveyed in 24 countries are dissatisfied with how democracy is working. This must be a wake-up call for the G7, which defines itself as a ‘club of democracies’. Trust has been the key factor explaining the difference among countries with respect to Covid-19 outcomes. Trust in government
improves outcomes, as does interpersonal trust. Research shows little indication that authoritarian regimes performed better than democracies with high levels of trust. The trust gap has strong links to the equity gap and more unequal societies showed higher Covid-19 death rates. This too, has increased in many countries. The country that did best is not a G7 member: it is Taiwan, which ranks high on the democracy index. Recent surveys show that democracy has continued to contract worldwide, with declines in at least one indicator of By Ilona Kickbusch , founding director, Global Health Centre, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies
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G7 ITALY: THE APULIA SUMMIT — 2024
globalgovernanceproject.org
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