WHO List of ten Global Health issues

December 26, 2020

The World Health Organization recently released a list of Global Health Issues. According to the WHO, these are the issues the world will have to deal with in 2021 due to inadequacies of health system created due to COVID-19. According to WHO, the pandemic could set back the global health progress achieved in the last twenty years. Therefore, it is essential to work hard to reinforce the health systems. The WHO suggests ten ways to strengthen the preparedness for emergencies in 2021.

WHO List of ten Global Health issues are as follows:

Build Global Solidarity for worldwide health security

The WHO suggests that the countries should work together to improve their preparedness in pandemics and health emergencies. The Who is to help tackle health emergencies. Also, a Bio Bank is to be established. The bank will share pathogen materials and clinical samples to facilitate rapid development of safe and effective vaccines.

Speed up access to COVID-19 tests

WHO suggests that the countries should work together to achieve equitable access of COVID-19 tests, vaccines and treatment. The ACT-Accelerator should be strengthened. The targets of ACT-Accelerator includes distributing 2 billion vaccines, establishing testing for 500 people in low- and middle-income-countries and 245 million treatments and strengthening health systems.

Advance Health for all

Two initiatives of WHO are to achieve this solving related issues. They are the Primary Health Care (PHC) programme and UHC Compendium. The Principles of PHC were outlined in the Declaration of Alma-Ata in 1978. Forty years later, Declaration of Astana was signed to achieve Universal Health Coverage.

Tackling health inequalities

The WHO is to call for global action to address health inequities on April, 7, 2021. April 7 is marked as the World Health Day.

Provide Global Leadership on science and data

The WHO is to provide support to the countries in strengthening their data and information. This is to be achieved through the SCORE Technical Package of WHO. SCORE is

Survey the population and health risks
Count birth, death and causes of deaths
Optimise health services data
Review progress and performance
Enable data used for policy and action

It is basically a World Health data platform. It also has a collection of data tools.

Revitalise efforts to tackle communicable diseases

The World Health Organisation and its partners have worked continuously to end polio, tuberculosis, HIV and malaria in several countries. They have worked intensively to avert epidemics of diseases such as yellow fever and measles. However, the covid-19 has setback much of their work in 2020. Therefore in 2021, WHO will help countries get vaccines for polio and other diseases. Also, it will push to increase the access to HPV vaccines as a part of new Global effort to end the cervical cancer.

Also, WHO will work to implement the new ten-year Roadmap for Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Combat drug resistance

WHO will combat drug resistance through its Global Leadership Group for Antimicrobial Resistance.

Prevent and treat Non-Communicable Diseases

According to the Global Health Estimates of WHO, non-communicable diseases are responsible for seven of the top ten causes of death in 2019. WHO is to focus on cancer, heart diseases and diabetes. The Global Diabetes Compact of WHO and “Quit Tobacco’ campaign (a campaign to help hundred million people to quit tobacco) are to be strengthened.