EQUALITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION: HEALTH
Investing in health
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , director general, World Health Organization
I n early September this year, I visited Sudan, where I saw first-hand the effects of the conflict that has caused untold destruction, death, disease and the displacement of more than 13 million people – a quarter of Sudan’s population. The following week I was in Chad, where I met some of those people in a town called Adré, on Chad’s border with Sudan. At the time of writing, Chad has welcomed almost 680,000 refugees from its neighbour, despite the burden this is putting on its health system. The conditions were indescribable and the needs were overwhelming. I met mothers who had walked with their children for days after their homes were burned, their crops destroyed and their livestock stolen. The health impacts on these refugees – both physical and mental – are acute and will also be enduring. And this is only one of the many health crises our world is facing, including conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine; outbreaks of the Marburg virus disease, mpox, cholera and dengue; searing inequity and inequality; the growing burden of non-communicable diseases; the steady march of antimicrobial resistance; the mounting impacts of climate change; and more. Sometimes the problems of our world can seem insurmountable, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals a distant fantasy. But humans are nothing if not resilient. Throughout our history, we have overcome numerous plagues, wars and other threats to our health and existence. We have learnt from those experiences, we have innovated and we have moved forward. LESSONS FROM THE PAST In the face of so many daunting challenges and in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, there are three things G20 leaders can do this year to build on their commitments to safeguard the health of the world’s population.
As the world grapples with multiple health crises, the World Health Organization’s leadership and sustainable financing are crucial in guiding G20 leaders towards safeguarding global health
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G20 BRAZIL: THE RIO SUMMIT — 2024
globalgovernanceproject.org
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