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“Leaders across the globe, are failing to invest enough resources in core health priorities and systems and putting lives, livelihoods and economies in jeopardy,” said World Health Organisation (WHO) releasing its latest list of urgent global health challenges for this decade.
“Public health is ultimately a political choice. Countries invest heavily in protecting their people from terrorist attacks, but not against the attack of a virus, which could be far more deadly, and far more damaging economically and socially. A pandemic could bring economies and nations to their knees. Which is why health security cannot be a matter for ministries of health alone,” noted WHO.
It added that countries have to realise that health is an investment in the future.
Reacting to this a senior health ministry official noted that the Union Health Ministry is looking at “more funds allocation for the coming year.”
A release issued by the central government noted that that department of health has sought for "untied funds to help in funding gaps in primary health care in the States. It has also asked for performance based incentives – a Composite Health Index to be utilized to encourage States to demonstrate performance on year on year basis."
“The Health Ministry projected the requirement of funds for a primary care for the purpose of addressing shortfall in infrastructure, health care professionals, supporting AB-HWCs, National Ambulance Service, and Funds for Medicines and Diagnostics. For a 5-year period, total of ₹5,38,305.38 crores fund has been projected,” noted the release.
Meanwhile, WHO also listed out -- climate change, access to medicines, epidemic, anti-biotic resistance, growth in harmful products etc as important challenges for this decade.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director general in his statement said: "We face shared threats and we have a shared responsibility to act. With the deadline for the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals quickly approaching, the United Nations General Assembly has underscored that the next 10 years must be the “decade of action”.
“This means advocating for national funding to address gaps in health systems and health infrastructure, as well as providing support to the most vulnerable countries,” he added.
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