“ Cascading crises show that health is both the
At the heart of these global efforts lies the principle of universal health coverage, anchored in strong primary healthcare systems. Accessible, community-based and preventive primary health care is the most effective and equitable path forward. It ensures continuity of care, allows societies to respond swiftly to outbreaks while maintaining essential services and provides support for mental health. By linking health to food security, clean air and climate adaptation, primary health care helps communities withstand the pressures of a changing environment. Investing in such systems is not only a technical decision. It is a political choice that reflects whether leaders are willing to build inclusive, resilient and sustainable health systems that put people first. But resilience depends on more than services. It requires trust. The pandemic exposed the dangers of disinformation, as falsehoods about vaccines and public health measures cost lives and deepened divides. Rebuilding confidence in science and institutions is therefore essential. This means strengthening inclusive governance, expanding health education and ensuring that communities have a voice in shaping the services they rely on. Women and young people must be central in this effort. Still, trust alone will not bridge the inequities that persist. Vast disparities remain in access to vaccines, diagnostics, digital tools and mental health care. In many low- and middle-income countries, funding cuts and debt burdens are weakening fragile systems. This inequity undermines not only development but also global security. No one is safe until everyone is safe. THE TIME IS NOW The urgency of this moment cannot be overstated. For women denied maternal care, for young people living with untreated mental health conditions and for families struggling to access basic medicines, the stakes are immediate and personal. For leaders, the stakes are generational. Choices made today will determine whether the coming decades are defined by repeated cycles of crisis, or by resilient systems that protect the most vulnerable and unlock human potential.
In an age when multilateralism is under strain, health must be our common ground. The future of health lies in our ability to choose cooperation over fragmentation, equity over exclusion and prevention over crisis. Leaders must recognise that investing in universal, people-centred systems is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic choice for peace, prosperity and planetary sustainability. Health is the thread that weaves together our shared aspirations for dignity, well-being and security. As this decisive year comes to an end, the world cannot afford hesitation. Health must be the political choice that unites us. It must be the promise we make to every woman denied care, to every young person demanding a future free of preventable disease, to every community caught in the crossfire of conflict or climate disaster. Health is not a privilege for the few. It is a right for all. The upcoming World Social Summit in Doha and UN climate conference in Belém are moments to carry this promise forward. Both will test whether we are prepared to put solidarity at the heart of multilateralism and to treat health as the foundation of resilience, justice and peace. By placing health at the centre of sustainable development, and by empowering women and young people as agents of transformation, we can turn today’s fractures into the foundation of a fairer, safer and more resilient future. The moment to act is now. ▪
mirror of our crises and the foundation of our future”
AMINA J MOHAMMED Amina J Mohammed is the deputy secretary-general of the United Nations and chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group. Previously she served as minister of environment of Nigeria. She first joined the UN in 2012 as special adviser to former secretary-general Ban Ki-moon with the responsibility for post-2015 development planning. In Nigeria, she served as an advocate focused on increasing access to education and other social services, and advised four successive presidents on poverty, public sector reform and sustainable development.
X-TWITTER @AminaJMohammed un.org/sg/en/dsg
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Health: A Political Choice – The Future of Health in a Fractured World
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