By Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus / Director-General, World Health Organization & Jutta Urpilainen / Commissioner for International Partnerships, European Commission
(Exclusive to the BusinessMirror’s ENVOYS&EXPATS)
BEGINNING with a cluster of pneumonia cases of an unknown cause in Wuhan, China, the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) has spread with alarming speed, shaking the foundations of health systems, economies and societies around the world.
Countries in Europe are among the most heavily affected. At the time of writing, the continent has five of the six most-affected. And yet, even as it is fighting to bring Covid-19 under control at home, it is also playing a leading role in building global solidarity.
Even as we are physically distancing as individuals, we need to pull together collectively as actors on the world stage. The European Union (EU) and the World Health Organization (WHO) share a commitment to support vulnerable communities and countries around the world. Standing together as a global community is particularly crucial now, because we are all in this together, as the disease knows no borders and does not discriminate. As long as it affects some of us, none of us is safe.
To support the global response to Covid-19, the EU and its member-states recently put forward a “Team Europe” package, which is growing to be well over €23 billion. Of course, Team Europe will be delivering parts of its response to the coronavirus pandemic with the United Nations.
Plans and tools
LIKE in so many crises, the most vulnerable suffer the most, and they must be our focus. The EU is supporting the WHO Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan, with €30 million in new funding to strengthen emergency preparedness and response in countries with weak health systems or which are affected by humanitarian crises.
In addition, the European Commission, the WHO and partners from around the globe have also teamed up to launch “The Access to Covid-19 Tools Accelerator” to speed-up the development, production and equitable distribution of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics for Covid-19 so that all people have equitable access to these life-saving products.
Building on this historic commitment, the European Commission hosted a pledging event on May 4, where more than 40 countries came together to pledge some €7.4 billion to support research and development for vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.
But our partnership extends well beyond the current crisis. The pandemic exploits the gaps and inequalities in health systems, underscoring the importance of investing in health workers, health infrastructure and systems to prevent, detect and respond to disease outbreaks.
UHC Partnership
STRONG health systems are the best prevention not only against outbreaks and pandemics, but also against the multiple health threats people around the world face every day. And yet, on current trends, more than 5 billion people will lack access to essential health services by 2030—including the ability to see a health worker, access to essential medicines, and running water in hospitals. Even when services are available, using them can mean financial ruin for millions of people.
These gaps don’t only undermine the health of individuals, families and communities; they also undermine global security and economic growth. That is why the EU has contributed €102 million to the Universal Health Coverage Partnership with the WHO, supporting health system strengthening in 115 countries in Africa, the Caribbean, the Pacific, Eastern Europe, as well as Central and Southeast Asia.
The world spends around $7.5 trillion on health each year—almost 10 percent of the global gross domestic product. But too many countries spend too much of their health budget on managing diseases in hospitals, where the costs are higher and the outcomes are often worse, instead of promoting health and preventing disease at the primary health-care level.
‘History will judge us’
THE Covid-19 pandemic will eventually recede, but there can be no going back to business-as-usual. As we work on responding to this pandemic, we must also prepare for the next one. Now is an opportunity to lay the foundations for resilient health systems around the world.
Investments to strengthen health infrastructure and work force are the only ways to avoid future global health crises like the one we are facing now. If we learn anything from Covid-19, it must be that investing in health now will save lives later.
History will judge us not only on whether we got through this pandemic, but also on the lessons we have learned, and the actions we took once it is over.