Public Health & COVID-19

Our interactions on public health provide opportunities for the practical application of Living Systems Leadership in a variety of settings.

4SD Foundation’s Strategic Director is Chair and Co-Director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation (IGHI) at the Imperial College London and was a Special Envoy of World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General on COVID-19 preparedness and response. These interactions enrich the work of 4SD Foundation and provide opportunities for the practical application of Living Systems Leadership in a variety of settings.

As Special Envoy since 21 February 2020 until end of 2023, David provided strategic advice and high-level political advocacy and engagement in different parts of the world to help WHO coordinate the global response to the pandemic.

As part-time Chair of Global Health at Imperial College London since 2018, and as Co-director of IGHI since 2019 alongside Lord Ara Darzi, David’s role includes responsibility for a module on Health and Society in the Masters Programmes offered through Faculty of Medicine, for the development of a Centre on Climate Change and Health, as well as supervising a project financed by the Wellcome Trust to establish a research agenda at the interface of climate change and mental health. The project team is led by Dr Emma Lawrence of IGHI who leads the Climate Cares programme: its focus is on safeguarding mental health and strengthening emotional resilience in the context of the climate emergency.

COVID-19 Open Online Briefings

The Open Online Briefings with Dr David Nabarro offered an update on what he sees happening around the world from an interdisciplinary and people-focused perspective followed by interactive discussion with participants. His updates were based on the analyses and guidance provided by the World Health Organization.

Learn more about the COVID-19 Open Online Briefings (118 sessions from March 2020 – December 2022)

COVID-19 Narratives

The COVID-19 Narratives are being written by David and peers to share with those who want more information about the situation and to help raise the awareness and readiness of all actors. The COVID-19 Narratives are further complemented by Reflections and Spotlight articles written by others in the 4SD Network and participants of the Open Online Briefings.

Explore the COVID-19 Narratives

COVID-19-Ready video clips

COVID-Ready Video Clips

This series of video clips encourages all leaders – global, national and local – to act in solidarity as the world learns how to live with and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 outbreaks. The video clips are complimented by songs written and performed by Gambian artist Nazeem with support from Vicki Doyle and partners.

Watch the COVID-19 video clips

Featured activities

12 May, 2020: Digital ThinkIn – What mustn’t be forgotten during the C-19 crisis?

Tortoise Media partnered with the ONE campaign to gather three experts to discuss the issues we can’t forget during this pandemic.

Gayle Smith, President and CEO of the ONE Campaign
Aya Chebbi, first African Union Special Envoy on Youth and the youngest diplomat at the African Union Commission Chairperson’s Cabinet
Dr David Nabarro, Special Envoy of the World Health Organization on COVID-19

27 October, 2020: COVID-19 OOB Special Schools Session

A special session during Series 2 of the COVID-19 Open Online Briefings was dedicated to students and families – addressing the hopes and fears they may have in relation to COVID-19.

This session was organised in partnership with the International School of Kenya and was kindly moderated by one of the students, Zara Bredin. We were also joined by special guest panelist, Clare French, headteacher of a primary school in Essex, United Kingdom.

7 June, 2021: From our collaboration with Global GoalsCast to bring the COVID-19 Open Online Briefings to their podcast audience, this episode introduces us to health workers who have made a real difference controlling the virus and supporting those struck down by it in their local community. These include a nurse-run campaign to isolate and vaccinate in Nepal to a program in the United Kingdom to assist long-Covid sufferers.

23 June, 2021: From our collaboration with Global GoalsCast to bring the COVID-19 Open Online Briefings to their podcast audience, this episode features senior official of the World Health Organization, Maria Van Kerkhove, who says the world needs to pull together to use all available tools to curb the virus. Public health experts in Botswana and Chile describe the continuing rampage of Covid-19 in their countries and Dr. David Nabarro, criticizes leaders of the world’s most developed countries, the G7, for offering vaccines but not much else to the rest of the world at their just concluded summit.