Global Health Asia-Pacific July 2020 July 2020 | Page 8

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR With the coronavirus pandemic crippling the global economy and igniting feelings of anxiety and despair around the world, some experts have sounded the alarm about a looming mental health epidemic that will almost certainly outlast the current crisis. But such feelings are an understandable response to very real health and economic threats, and viewing them through the narrow lens of a physical disease lays bare a problematic, and sometimes dangerous, approach to mental distress that our current healthcare systems suffer from. While sketching the troubled history of the search for the biological basis of mental illness, our cover story sheds light on the risks of translating human distress into the language of mental disorder and offers alternative approaches that can provide people in distress with less stigmatising and more empowering therapeutic strategies. In a feature on COVID-19, we describe the latest research on testing, vaccines, and treatments, including several options currently being tested. While some are promising, we are still in the early days. We also share some insights into how the natural environment has fared during the pandemic. The good news is that our air is cleaner and pollution has declined due to restrictions on human activity, but the long-term prospects are still not bright. Available across Asia, the Middle East and North America Visit our website: www.globalhealthandtravel.com to download the digital version Gabriele Bettinazzi Editor [email protected] Founders Narender Panjwani & Thomas Masterson Publisher & Managing Director Narender Panjwani [email protected] Chief Executive Officer and President Varun Panjwani [email protected] Editor Gabriele Bettinazzi [email protected] Editorial Director (Aesthetics), Branding and Communication Manager Drishti Panjwani [email protected] Copy editor Martin Murphy Contributor Richard Whitehead Design Noel de Guzman/Artmazing! Advertising Manager South East Asia SK Wong [email protected] Marketing Manager Wisal Abughalia [email protected] Business Development Manager (Singapore) Simran Kapoor [email protected] Canada Office Anjika Sabhani [email protected] Kishor Sabhani [email protected] 900 Rice Road, Edmonton T6R 1A2, Alberta Canada, Tel. [phone] Dubai Office Anil Dadlani [email protected] 2207 Regal Tower, Business Bay, PO BOX 126161, Dubai, UAE Tel. [phone] India Office Surbhi Pandit [email protected] A-27, South Extension, Part 2, New Delhi, 110049 Malaysia Office GHT Malaysia Sdn Bhd Level 18, WeWork, Plaza Equatorial Jalan Sultan Ismail 50250 Kuala Lumpur Singapore Office Narender Panjwani [email protected] 1 Kim Seng Promenade, #11-01 Great World City Office, East Tower Singapore 237994 Global Health Asia-Pacific is a publication of HealthFYX Pte Ltd. 1 Kim Seng Promonade #11-01 Great World City Office East Tower, SINGAPORE 237994 For circulation enquiries please contact [email protected] or call [phone] Global Health Asia-Pacific is a licensed trademark of HealthFYX Pte Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher. Founder Sunthari Pillay,[email protected] [phone] Printed by: Hoffset Printing Sdn. Bhd. (667106-X) 6 JULY 2020 GlobalHealthAndTravel.com