Media contributions on the COVID-19 pandemic by Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter

Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter has been researching in the field of global health policy for many years. In the current Covid-19 crisis she is interviewed by different German and international media like Deutschlandfunk Nova, radioeins, Deutsche Welle, das Erste and Bayrischer Rundfunk (BR) and by the German newspapaer taz and the international newspaper Politico. Furthermore, she is writing comments on international health policy and the WHO in the current times and is invited to online events by different associations, like the British-German Association. Parallel to her professorship at the TU Dresden she heads the research group 'Governance for Global Health' at the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB).

January 11, 2022 - WELT

In the article "Der Welt droht eine Endlosschleife der Pandemie mit immer weiteren Mutationen" (The world is threatened by an endless loop of the pandemic with more and more mutations) of 11 January in the German newspaper WELT, Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter provides her assessment of the success of the global Covax initiative so far. The aforementioned initiative has set itself the goal of enabling equal access to vaccines worldwide. A goal that still seems a long way off without a change in strategy in the near future. In particular, the patent release of vaccines could turn the tide in the other direction. Until then, however, many countries in the Global South will have to rely on donations. Nevertheless, short-term donations are often not enough. More planning is needed in recipient countries as well as further international cooperation in the implementation of the vaccination. One thing is certain: the pandemic will only end globally.

November 26, 2021 - The BMJ (British Medical Journal)

On 26 November 2021, Prof. Dr Anna Holzscheiter published an article entitled Can geopolitics derail the pandemic treaty? in the British Medical Journal (The BMJ). Together with Prof. Dr. Ilona Kickbusch, Director of the Global Health Programme at the Graduate Institute of International Development Studies Geneva, she examined the challenges of negotiating a pandemic treaty, taking into account the interconnected levels of geopolitics. First of all the global health inequality, which the global South is no longer willing to accept, will be discussed in more detail, while at the same time, the big powers are in serious competition with each other. Thus, despite the emerging global health crises that affects every country and every individual, it has become near impossible to establish a common roadmap - with serious implications for global vaccine equity as well.

June 04, 2021 - Discussion on Südwestrundfunk (SWR2)

Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter was a guest at the discussion ‘No Patent Remedy – how does globally fair vaccination work?’ on the German public radio station SWR2 on June 4, 2021. While in Europe vaccinations are now carried out among the general population, there is still hardly any vaccine available in poorer countries. Anna Holzscheiter discussed  the lifting of patent protection on Corona vaccines and the overall global production capacities together with Han Steutel (president of the Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies) and Elisabeth Massute (political speaker of Doctors Without Borders). The discussion has a length of 44:15 minutes and was conducted in German.

May 03, 2021 – radio interview on Südwestrundfunk (SWR2)

During a radio interview on the German radio station SWR2 on May 3, 2021 Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter was asked about her opinion on the current global vaccine solidarity of the G7-states. Hereby, she discusses the appropriate use of the term Solidarity in this context, pointing to the rather sluggish start of „COVAX“ - the global initiative aiming on an equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. She calls for more empathy and collective global action. The interview was conducted in German and is around 7 minutes long.

April 07, 2021 - Commentary in the German Newspaper "taz"

In a guest commentary in the German Newspaper " taz", Anna Holzscheiter writes about the global distribution of the Corona vaccine. Under the title Impfstoff für arme Länder: Global gegen die Pandemie ("Vaccine for poor countries: Globally against the pandemic"), the lack of international solidarity and the competition for vaccines are discussed. However, Anna Holzscheiter believes that putting an end to the virus will not work in this way. The article is also about the global partnership "Covax" of the World Health Organization WHO and the pharmaceutical patents.

March 24, 2021 - DGVN event "Who is WHO"

On Wednesday, March 24, Anna Holzscheiter will speak at the "Who is WHO" event of the DGVN (Deutsche Gesellschaft für die Vereinten Nationen Landesverband Nord e.V.). The event will take place from 18:30 - 20:00 via Zoom. Registration is required and still possible until Monday, March 22 via this link. The language of the event is German. More information on the event can be found in the announcement.

March 03, 2021 - Webinar: Heinrich Böll Foundation Baden-Württemberg

The topic "Global Vaccine Justice" was highlighted by Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiterin in a webinar hosted by the Heinrich Böll Foundation Baden-Württemberg on March 03, 2021. She gave inputs on questions such as: What measures are needed to massively expand vaccine production globally? What is the role of politics at the federal and European level? How can existing initiatives such as COVAX be strengthened? In view of the dramatic situation, must the final consequence be a mandatory release of licenses?  Further information about the event can be found on this website.

March 01, 2021 - Global Health Hub COVID-19 discussion series

On Monday, March 01, 2021, Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter spoke at the Global Health Hub's COVID-19 discussion series. The topic was "Challenges for multilateralism in global health".  The discussion covered the roles of different actors such as the EU and WHO, and the impact of Biden's administration on the multilateral system. Anna Holzscheiter was joined by Tobias Bergner and Prof. Dr. Ilona Kickbusch. More information is available on the Global Health Hub website.

December 7, 2020 - Wiener Zeitung

In the article Das Impfstoff-Rennen der Großmächte (The Vaccine Race of the Great Powers) of December 7 in the Wiener Zeitung, Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter provides assessments of the international competition for vaccines. The different vaccines would have a great impact on the economy as well as on the ability to act on the international political stage of the states. Governments around the world are under pressure, regardless of whether they are democratic or authoritarian.

December 3, 2020 - Blog of the European Journal of International Law: EJIL:Talk!

In the blog of the European Journal of International Law EJIL:Talk!, Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter published the article Reclaiming the Voice of Youth: Pandemic Politics and Law and the Invisibility of Youth on December 3. In it, Julian A. Hettihewa and Anna Holzscheiter argue that there is an acute need to recognize the agency and creative will of young people in the context of political, legal, economic, and social responses to the pandemic. More information on this, as well as on the event „Jugend ins Völkerrecht – aber wie?“ ("Youth into International Law - But How?") on Dec. 8, 2020, can be found in this news article.

November 27, 2020 - DVPW Blog article (German Association for Political Science)

Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter published a blog post on the website of the DVPW (German Political Science Association) entitled 75 Jahre Vereinte Nationen, 170 Jahre internationale Kooperation in Gesundheitsfragen: Welche Zukunft für globale Gesundheitspolitik? (75 years of the United Nations, 170 years of international cooperation in health issues: What future for global health policy?). The German article, which was published on 27 November 2020, begins by briefly discussing how the institutional (dis)order of global health policy has changed over time and what challenges, especially for the WHO, are posed in a complex landscape of traditional and hybrid, public and private actors. Based on this, three scenarios for the future of global health policy are then outlined. Anna Holzscheiter was already a guest at the DVPW in October. The recording of this event and further information can be found here.

November 21, 2020 - "Weltspiegel" - Das Erste

On November 21, 2020 Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter was a guest in the "Weltspiegel" of the German public broadcasting "Das Erste". The report is in German and deals with the lack of doctors in Corona times. Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter reports in the last third of the article about the lack of physicians on a global level. There are many global connections in the corona crisis that should be considered. The moderator Natalie Amiri also talks to the ARD correspondent from the Madrid studio, Stefan Schaaf, about Spain's health care problems and to the ARD correspondent Xenia Böttcher in Mexico about the situation of medical professionals in socialist Cuba.

November 12, 2020 - British-German Association

On the 12th of November 2020, Professor Matthew Flinders and Professor Anna Holzscheiter examined the UK’s and Germany’s comparative responses to the COVID crisis in an online event held by the British-German Association. The discussion was chaired by Stefanie Bolzen and held in English language. More information about the event can be found here. The recording on vimeo can be accessed with the password "BGA121120".

August 27, 2020 - Politico

In the weekly newspaper "Politico" Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter informed among other things about the financing of the WHO after cancellation of the contributions of the USA. The article was published on August, 27 2020 and is titled Germany eyes global health ambitions as US steps back - Berlin is emerging as the likely new global health power but it doesn't want to go it alone. It is about the fact that Germany might fill some of the gaps that have arisen due to the US turning away from the WHO.

August 19, 2020 - Wissenschaft & Frieden Ausgabe "Der kranke Planet"

Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter published an article entitled  Im Auge des Sturms - Die WHO in der COVID-19-Pandemie (In the eye of the storm - The WHO in the COVID-19 pandemic) in the 3rd issue of 2020 in the German Journal "Wissenschaft und Frieden" (Science and Peace) with the topic "Der kranke Planet" (The sick planet). It deals with the current discussions about the WHO, including for example the UN Security Council resolution on COVID-19 and the role of the USA, China and private foundations. In the end, it is concluded that the WHO needs to stay capable of action and adequately funded.

July 8, 2020 - Event series "Glokale Trends des 21. Jahrhunderts"

On Wednesday, July 8, 2020, Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter was a guest speaker at the event series Was bringt die Zukunft? Glokale Trends des 21. Jahrhunderts (What does the future hold? Local trends of the 21st century). This week's topic was "Virus vs. Mensch – Der Kampf gegen Krankheiten im 21. Jahrhundert" (Virus vs. man - the fight against diseases in the 21st century). Further information about the event can be found here.

June 26, 2020 - Gerechte Gesundheit

Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter was interviewed by the German portal "gerechte-gesundheit.de" on June 26, 2020. This "Interview of the Month" is about the commitment of the German Federal Government to the topic of Global Health. The German Bundestag recently voted on this topic. Global health expert Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter takes a closer look at this plan and explains what is remarkable about it and what the politicians have failed to do.

June 3, 2020 - Bayrischer Rundfunk (BR) Bayern 2

On June 3, 2020 Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter was interviewed by the German radio station Bayrischer Rundfunk (BR). In the studio in Berlin she was interviewed in the "Dossier Politik" of BR Bayern 2 as an expert for global health policy. The title of the report is "Kranke Weltgesundheitsorganisation - Wie handlungsfähig ist die WHO?" ("The Sick World Health Organization - How capable of action is the WHO?). Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter speaks about the tasks of the World Health Organization (WHO) and various private donors, public-private partnerships and pharmaceutical companies. In addition, she describes the sometimes difficult diplomatic situation for the WHO which it has to face when making recommendations, for example the restriction of the freedom of travel. Finally, she summarizes that the WHO has no undemocratic or intransparent development ahead of it and that it is important not to lose sight of the global South in the crisis, for example in the distribution of the vaccine. The report is 46:35min long and, together with other speakers, also addresses other topics such as the history, goals and tasks of the WHO, private donors such as the Bill Gates Foundation, the relationship between China and the WHO, and the WHO's crisis management in the past and in the current crisis.

May 27, 2020 - WZB-series

On May 27, 2020, Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter and her colleague Steffen Huck published what is presumably the last episode of the WZB series: Kill or Pay the Bill: Vol. 3. The German article analyzes the current decisions of governments around the world based on Sapolsky's research on human behavior theory. It argues that health budgets should be kept high even outside of crises and that high budgets should also be allocated for diseases other than COVID-19. We could save more lives "if we vote for better equipped health systems in the long term and do not forget those threatened by measles, polio, malaria, tuberculosis and many other preventable diseases whose control suffers from the COVID-19 lockdowns."

May 19, 2020 - Deutschlandfunk Nova

Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter was interviewed in a Deutschlandfunk Nova report on May, 19 2020 on the World Health Organization (WHO). Topics include the current criticism of the WHO, the annual meeting, problems in the WHO, but also the great importance of the WHO. In addition, the need for reforms in the WHO is discussed. The interview is in German and 6:30min long.

May 14, 2020 - WZB-series

After the first episode in the series by Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter and Steffen Huck on April, 21, the next episode Kill or Pay the Bill: Vol. 2 was published on the WZB website on May 14, 2020. The German article answers the following questions: "In what framework can decision-making problems about money or life be conceived, and what principles are used to solve them in normal times? Where do the philosophical foundations lie, and how are they put into practice?"

May 4, 2020 - Blog "Duck of Minerva"

Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter published a commentary on May 04, 2020 on the Blog "Duck of Minerva" together with Andrea Liese and Sassan Gholiagha: When norms collide: The COVID-19 pandemic and difficult choices on the hierarchy of norms and values. It is about the difficult choices on hierarchies of norms and values in the political response to COVID-19.

April 23, 2020 - journal IPG - Internationale Politik und Gesellschaft

On April 23, 2020 Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter also published an article in the journal IPG Internationale Politik und Gesellschaft in German: Trumps Stöckchen - Die WHO ist zum Schauplatz des Wettstreits um Macht und Einfluss geworden. Das ist unvermeidlich – überflüssig ist sie deswegen noch lange nicht. (translation: Trumps Stick - The WHO has become the scene of the competition for power and influence. This is unavoidable - but the WHO is still by no means unnecessary) Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter argues that the WHO is obviously not immune to the power-political conflicts between its powerful member states. We need it nevertheless because, among other things, it enables a continuous exchange - also about disagreements and deficiencies - between its 194 member states.

April 21, 2020 - WZB-series

In addition, there is another article published on 21 April 2020 by Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter and Steffen Huck on the WZB website entitled Kill or Pay the Bill: Vol. 1 in German language, which, deals with "why we are so poorly prepared for the big decisions in the corona crisis". A continuation will follow.

April 18, 2020 - radioeins

She also gave a radio interview on the WHO in German on radioeins on April 18, 2020, about the financing of the WHO, Trumps suspension of US contributions to the WHO and the organization's functioning and capabilities. The interview is 5:46min long.

April 17, 2020 - Deutsche Welle

On April 17, 2020 Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter gave an interview on the WHO on television (Deutsche Welle). Among other things, the interview dealt with the financing of the WHO, Trumps Suspension of US contributions to WHO and the responsibilities and capabilities of the organization. The interview is given in English and is lasting 5:14min.

April 8, 2020 - taz

In addition, Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter was interviewed about the significance of the WHO for the global management of the pandemic and trumps unfounded criticism by the German newspaper taz on April 8, 2020. The interview can be accessed here: Professorin über WHO und Trump: „Mehr Handlungsspielräume“ and Konflikt zwischen USA und WHO: Völlig vermasselt hat es nur Trump. Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter states that the WHO is not invisible, insignificant or ineffective in the current pandemic.

April 7, 2020 - Deutschlandfunk Nova

Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter was interviewed on April 7, 2020 by Deutschlandfunk Nova on the global shortage of nursing staff. The UN has recently published a report on this issue. There is a shortage of 5.9 million nurses worldwide. The shortage is distributed differently around the world: Developing and emerging countries are far more affected. In the future, the shortage could become even worse due to labour migration and early retirement of older carers. There is also a dramatic imbalance between women and men in the health sector. You can listen to the whole interview here: Radiointerview Deutschlandfunk Nova zum WHO Bericht. The interview is in German language and has a duration of 5:54min.

March 30, 2020 - WZB-comment

In her comment from March 30, 2020 Prof. Dr. Anna Holzscheiter writes about the ongoing global health crisis. The title is: "The ugly face of health politics – COVID-19 and the hypocrisy of the ‘saving lives’ metaphor". She is not only addressing the current crisis but is also discussing problems that have been existing prior to the crisis in Germany and also globally, such as the migration of doctors, a shortage of organ donations, dropping immunization rates or other infectious diseases. "Once they have gotten out of emergency mode – which is hopefully soon – my hope would be for governments, local authorities and media to capitalize on the maximum attention given to individual and societal health at present." The German Versions from April 6, 2020 and March 31, 2020 can be found here and here.