The Global Cooperation Barometer 2024

The World Economic Forum (WEF) recently released a report assessing global cooperation trends across five key areas, including health and wellness. The report found that prior to 2020, global health cooperation indicators were slowly but steadily improving. However, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, global cooperation on health has started to decline.

Life Expectancy Dropping

Life expectancy at birth declined from 72.8 years in 2019 to 71 years in 2021. This reversal is largely attributed to COVID-19 related deaths as well as the diversion of healthcare resources from other diseases. For example, an estimated 14 million more malaria cases and 69,000 more malaria deaths occurred in 2020 compared to 2019 due to reduced focus on malaria prevention and treatment programs.

Maternal Mortality Increasing

After decades of improvement, maternal mortality rates increased for the first time in 2020 to 152 deaths per 100,000 live births. Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 70% of estimated global maternal deaths that year. The rise in maternal mortality has been linked to disruptions in reproductive healthcare services during the pandemic.

Areas Requiring Renewed Global Cooperation

As the immediate impacts of the pandemic wane, the WEF report highlighted four key areas requiring renewed international cooperation on health:

Basic Research

Sustained global partnerships will be integral for coordinating and expanding basic research across various health conditions from chronic illnesses to clinical trials for emerging diseases.

Illicit Drugs

Coordinated efforts are needed to tackle the continued proliferation of illicit synthetic drugs worldwide which pose threats to health and security.

Mental Health

There is major potential to align emerging best practices globally to improve mental health outcomes, especially among working age populations.

Ageing Populations

Coordinated approaches must better engage and support the needs of ageing populations across countries.

Month: Current Affairs - January, 2024

Category: Reports & Indexes Current Affairs