In the press release For World Health Day, the World Health Organization urges countries to build a fairer, healthier world post-COVID-19. WHO issues five calls for urgent action to improve health for all people:
Accelerate equitable access to COVID-19 technologies between and within countries
According to WHO, among them are the equal and fair access to safe and effective vaccines. Commodities of medical oxygen and personal protective equipment (PPE), as well as reliable diagnostic tests and medicines are also vital. So are strong mechanisms to fairly distribute all these products within national borders. Key here will be additional support to COVAX, the vaccine pillar in the ACT-Accelerator, which hopes to have reached 100 countries and economies in the coming days.
Invest in primary health care
As countries move forward post-COVID-19, it will be vital to avoid cuts in public spending on health and other social sectors. Governments must also reduce the global shortfall of 18 million health workers needed to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030. This includes creating at least 10 million additional full-time jobs globally and strengthening gender equality efforts.
Prioritize health and social protection
According to press-release, in many countries, the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19, through loss of jobs, increases in poverty, disruptions to education, and threats to nutrition, have exceeded the public health impact of the virus. It will be vital to ensure that these precious investments have the biggest impact on those in greatest need, and that disadvantaged communities are engaged in planning and implementing programmes.
Build safe, healthy and inclusive neighbourhoods
Access to healthy housing, in safe neighbourhoods, with adequate educational and recreational amenities, is key to achieving health for all. It will be important to intensify efforts to reach rural communities with health and other basic social services (including water and sanitation). These communities also urgently need increased economic investment in sustainable livelihoods and better access to digital technologies.
Strengthen data and health information systems
Increasing the availability of timely, high-quality data that is disaggregated by sex, wealth, education, ethnicity, race, gender and place of residence is key to working out where inequities exist, and addressing them. Health inequality monitoring should be an integral part of all national health information systems.
"Now is the time to invest in health as a motor of development," WHO Director General Dr Tedros said. “We do not need to choose between improving public health, building sustainable societies, ensuring food security and adequate nutrition, tacking climate change and having thriving local economies. All these vital outcomes go hand in hand.”
All the above is reflected in the position of Turkmenistan, expressed, in particular, in the Address of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to Turkmen citizens on the occasion of World Health Day, which emphasizes that the socio-economic potential, cultural development of the state are tightly bound with well-being of people, health of society, harmonious physical and spiritual development of generations.
Ogulgozel REJEPOVA
