Department of Parasitology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University

Since the first death reported in Japan in January 2020, the COVID-19 death toll has been increasing worldwide. For us, it is quite astonishing to see that the richest and the most developed countries are the ones reporting the highest death rates and incidences.

In the fight against infectious diseases, namely tuberculosis, HIV / AIDS, malaria and the neglected tropical diseases, researchers in the field of Tropical Medicine have viewed such burden of infections as the consequences of poverty. Further, since the failure of the first global eradication plan, the malaria deaths constantly exceeding 1 million, of which the majority is comprised of children under age 5, had long been neglected. The recent scale-up of countermeasures, finally reducing the annual malaria death to less than 500,000, the battle against malaria was just about to enter a new era. Having long faced the threat of persistent poverty and malaria risk, how are the residents from the malaria endemic areas perceiving the emerging pandemic?

Towards a post-COVID new normal, a new paradigm for infectious disease control is being sought for. Keys to combat the SARS-CoV-2 virus, such as appreciating the significance of asymptomatic infections, acquired immunity, and behavior changes, has all long been the center of discussion in the field of Tropical Medicine. Towards the realization of global health in the post-COVID era, we raise researchers who can learn, think and act independently, based on what they experience through field practice.