Afterword: Tackling Inequalities After the Covid Crisis

Abstract

The chapters in this volume suggest how we might tackle the fractures which Covid has created in Europe. Schrecker’s chapter paints a stark picture for the future, showing how the pandemic has intensified both economic and health inequalities. In the field of education, Pyżalski and Walter contend that the most important thing is to give specific attention to young people who have to deal with the negative effects of distance education. The most vulnerable require full support with full mental health programmes. The teachers and instructors also need support and guidance because they continue to play an essential role in dealing with the after effects of the health crisis on young people. For Costantini, the virtual experience has not been completely negative for higher education. It is just a question of achieving the right balance between physical and virtual interaction in the future and dealing with specific inequalities, mainly economic ones, for both students and academics at the start of their careers. Verdiyeva et al.’s study of children with severe disabilities shows that ongoing support for parents who have had to take over the role of educator is important. In Lestrade’s analysis of the workplace, a more flexible approach, which allows employees to work from home, should be continued even though this still excludes certain segments of the population who do not have the opportunity to work from home. Lazarashvili et al. and Boullet and Guillaumond’s chapters contend that continued intervention from the government is necessary to alleviate the negative and unequal effects of the economic downturn on the population. The state’s role in ensuring the well-being and welfare of the population is essential. As regards health interventions, Lillo-Crespo underlines how important it is to ensure that response systems are in place well before emergencies strike to enable organized and coordinated action which can in effect benefit the most vulnerable in society. Dalingwater et al. reiterate this in their chapter by arguing that there is a need to ensure that the lessons of Covid-19, during which inequities and weaknesses in healthcare have been exposed, continue to be dealt with to ensure that we become resilient to future pandemics.