Have health outcomes in small islands recovered a half-decade after the Covid-19 pandemic?
From Small Islands Big Picture by ODI Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)
May 8, 2026 · 54 min · Season 1 · Episode 23
About this episode
The episode discusses the long-term health outcomes in small islands following the Covid-19 pandemic and the lessons learned for future health governance.
Small islands generally did far better during the pandemic than bigger (and often richer) countries with more complex health systems. In this episode, Emily and Matt ask: what have been the longer-term effects of Covid-19 more than five years on? Have lessons have been learned for the next shock? Where can we see both improvements and things to worry about in health provision and outcomes? We welcome two global public health experts for our “Explainer”. Sophie Harman tells us why we should worry about not only the decline of multilateral health governance, but also what might be replacing it. Simon Rushton talks us through some of the longer-term effects of the pandemic on the Global South. Then, in the Big Picture, we are joined by Roannie Ng Shiu from Samoa and Aviane Auguste from St Lucia to learn why SIDS did relatively so well in the pandemic but why more prosaic health challenges – from measles to dengue and non-communicable diseases like diabetes – are of greater immediate concern. Finally, in no stupid questions, Matt and Emily ask whether small size and islandness are actually secret weapons in helping SIDS to achieve better health outcomes. LISTENER…
People in this episode
Hosts: Emily, Matt
Guests: Sophie Harman, Simon Rushton, Roannie Ng Shiu, Aviane Auguste
Topics covered
- health outcomes
- Covid-19 pandemic
- small islands
- public health
- Global South
- health governance
Keywords
- health outcomes
- Covid-19
- small islands
- public health
- Global South
- measles
- dengue
- non-communicable diseases
- diabetes
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: ODI Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative
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