Health Care Access

An imprisoned person grips a chain-link fence

Mental Health, Incarceration, and COVID-19

Chanese A. Forte

In the US, ten times more people with mental health disorders are in jail or prison than in mental health facilities. The coronavirus pandemic further complicates this matter, putting incarcerated individuals at increased risk of infection.

Micrograph of the epidermis and dermis of human finger skin.

The Worst Disease You've Never Heard Of: Caring for Children with Epidermolysis Bullosa

Bailey Brown, BS ’20

Children with epidermolysis bullosa are often called butterfly children—their skin seems to be as fragile as a butterfly’s wing. While there is no cure for EB, ongoing clinical trials have developed treatments to manage symptoms. Public health clinicians can help patients and their families build support networks by connecting them to local support groups and other families caring for children with EB.

A pharmacist in India displays hydroxychloroquine tablets

Understanding Lupus, the Disease Treated by Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine

Ekemini Hogan, Akpabio Akpabio, and Utibe Effiong

Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are important therapies for those suffering from lupus, a complex auto-immune disease. As the world battles to overcome COVID-19, we must ensure continued availability of antimalarials to patients whose lives literally depend on them.

Photo of a vaccine.

Why Are Ethical Concerns Blocking the Progress of COVID-19 Vaccine Efforts?

Akpabio Akpabio and Utibe Effiong

Ultimately, vaccines are beneficial, and human trials are essential in determining the safety of any vaccine. But how do we select candidates for vaccine tests? Fallout from unethical experiments is persistent, and we must insist on the most ethical and medically accurate appraisals of the vaccine landscape.