The cost of living: an avoidable public health crisis

A global recession looms. Disruptions to supply chains—caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine—have pushed the cost of living up dramatically for millions of people around the world. Governments have cut back on the social protections communities had come to rely on during the pandemic. As annual inflation rates in high-income countries approach 10%, a growing number of people are being forced to choose between feeding their children and paying their bills. Stories of families missing meals, wearing winter coats in unheated homes, and living in the dark fearful of escalating energy prices are becoming too common. The cost-of-living crisis has surpassed COVID-19 as the main concern for many communities.