The COVID-19 pandemic, now seen as a manageable threat, continues to claim lives worldwide, revealing that medical solutions alone aren’t enough to end epidemics. The author, drawing from the history of syphilis, AIDS, and tuberculosis, argues that addressing the social, economic, and political factors that drive disease spread is just as crucial. At the University of Minnesota, where research on global health and disease prevention is a priority, this perspective resonates with the need for comprehensive public health strategies that go beyond vaccines and medications—strategies that U of M students and faculty are working to develop.
