Stopping the for-profit pandemic

Governments must take action to counter the role of the private sector in undermining public health.

It has been less than two years since phrases like “flatten the curve,” “contact tracing,” “social distancing,” and many others related to the Covid-19 pandemic entered the lexicon and became part of everyday communication. People everywhere have learned more about epidemiology, virology, and immunology than they ever expected they would. And yet, despite the increased attention to public health, few people can name the world’s leading cause of death. That is not an accident.