France's Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic: between a Rock and a Hard Place

Zeynep Or, Coralie Gandré (), Isabelle Durand-Zaleski () and Monika Steffen ()
Additional contact information
Coralie Gandré: IRDES Institute for Research and Information in Health Economics
Isabelle Durand-Zaleski: AP-HP URCEco Santé Publique Hôpital Henri Mondor
Monika Steffen: PACTE, Université Grenoble-Alpes, Sciences Po Grenoble, CNRS

No DT83, Working Papers from IRDES institut for research and information in health economics

Abstract: France is one of the European countries hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic brought into light structural weaknesses of the health system, including its governance and decision making process, but also provoked changes that helped to improve its resilience. We analyse the French experience of Covid-19 in 2020 by critically reviewing major policy measures implemented during the first two waves of the pandemic. France has struggled to find the right balance between the rock of economic and social damage caused by containment measures and the hard alternative of a rapidly spreading pandemic. The response to the first wave, including a full lock-down, was an emergency response that revealed the low level of preparedness for pandemics and the overly hospital-centred provision of health care in France. During the second wave, this response evolved into a more level strategy trying to reconcile health needs in a broader perspective integrating socio-economic considerations, but without fully managing to put in place an effective health strategy. We conclude that to achieve the right balance, France will have to strengthen health system capacity and improve the cooperation between actors at central and local levels with greater participatory decision-making that takes into account local-level realities and the diversity of needs.

Keywords: Health policy; Covid-19; Governance; France (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H11 H12 I18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 20 pages
Date: 2021-02, Revised 2021-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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https://www.irdes.fr/english/working-papers/083-fr ... and-a-hard-place.pdf First version, 2021

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Journal Article: France's response to the Covid-19 pandemic: between a rock and a hard place (2022)
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