The role of science in Health governance

Abstract

The author begins by addressing the problem created by the COVID-19 pandemic, a new disease, which has upset politi- cians all over the world and made them resort to the advice of specialists, but notes that the problem is much broader and must be seen the role of Science in the current management of Health and even other sectors.
It shows how there were different approaches in different countries, but in all cases, this consultation with specialists was made, because it was a new disease, which led politicians to have to admit that they did not have the capacity to manage the pandemic.

The author analyzes some of the consultation models used in different countries and analyzes the advantages, disadvantages and shortcomings of each of these institutional arrangements.
The author also shows the catastrophic results in the management of the pandemic by politicians who totally disregarded scientific opinions and decided to manage the pandemic themselves or ignore it.

The author also refers to the harmful effect of pressure from economic lobbies on political decision-makers and even on some scientists. It shows how the negative effects of the pandemic on the economy were widely reported by the media and politicians, but how big business generated by the pandemic was deliberately silenced.
The author also analyzes the reactions of different scientists in relation to a new disease and denounces the difficulties of some scientists in admitting their ignorance in relation to this new disease.

The author also denounces the fact that, in many countries, journalists and newspaper and television commentators, just because they have captured the sense of some epidemiological indicators, have quickly sought to become specialists in epi- demiological analysis, with deleterious effects on public opinion.
But the author dedicates most of his text to analyzing the need to give primacy to Science in the current management of Health. It shows how the management model based on scientific evidence should be and the need to create and maintain operational and up-to-date Information Systems for Health Management. He also shows the limits of Information Systems for Health Management and how it is sometimes necessary to complement them, with scientific research specifically aimed at clarifying what is considered necessary to know for a scientific management of the Health Sector, as well as the impor- tance of also to take into account the results of scientific research of an academic nature carried out outside the context of health management, which implies a new attitude, both on the part of health managers and on the part of academic researchers.

The author demonstrates how placing Science at the command of Governance yields beneficial results in the quality of Governance.
The author shows the need for political will to put Science in the command of Governance and also discusses the impor- tance of, for this purpose, to adopt new criteria in the choice of political and technical-administrative leaders.

Finally, the author considers that these considerations on the role of Science in current Health Management may be extra- polated to other sectors (Education, Science and Technology, Environment, Agriculture and Fisheries, Food Security, Water Supply and Energy, Public Works and Housing, Transport and Communications, etc.).