Balkans | WHO: Global economies are no better prepared for new epidemics than before

In the report prepared under the leadership of the World Health Organization (WHO), it is stated that global economies are no more prepared for new epidemics than before.

The first report of the “Health Economics Council for All”, established by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in 2020 to combat COVID-19 and assess economies from a “health for all” perspective, has been published.

Ghebreyesus, who made assessments about the report at the press conference held at the United Nations Office in Geneva, in November 2020, to rethink and implement economic policies in the field of health, Dr. He stated that he had announced the creation of the Health Economics for All Council, chaired by Mariana Mazzucato.

Ghebreyesus said, “The council, which started its work from the beginning of 2021, has accomplished things that exceed expectations in terms of the quality and scope of the work it produces. The council looked at how best to measure economic development and came up with ideas on how to better fund innovation and build capacity to deliver health for all,” he said.

Ghebreyesus touched on some key points in the report, and indicated that the report advises the world to stop using the GDP to measure progress, indicating that this calculation does not take into account the large resources that go into unpaid work, which often support economic and social activities.

The report calls for financing to ensure health is adequate and sustainable in the long term. The council also points out that innovation succeeds when there are effective partnerships between the public and private sectors. Use the phrase.

“There is a huge financing gap around health systems globally”

Council Chairman Mazzucato stated that they are working effectively on the Kovid-19 process to prepare the report.

Mazzucato stressed that although COVID-19 is said to have ended, the pandemic has not ended due to the interconnected crises, and stated that crises in the financial, health and climate fields are also linked to the pandemic.

“We know we will have more epidemics,” Mazzucato said. For example, new viruses will emerge when permafrost thaws. Are we more prepared for new viruses (epidemics) than before? (Regarding global economies) The Council’s report says “no” to that. Because we didn’t take health seriously for everyone and we didn’t design business models,” he said.

Noting that management structures are not designed to be inclusive in health, Mazzucato also stressed that public-private partnerships are not designed to be results-oriented.

“There is a huge financing gap around healthcare systems globally,” said Mazzucato. We looked at the changes needed to design an economy that provides health for all, including the patent structure, public-private partnerships, and budgets. In our report, we call for a new economic policy, not about market fixation, but about proactive and collaborative market shaping that prioritizes human health and the world,” he said.

According to the report, ensuring health for all requires reinvestment in government capacity, a new ecosystem of health innovations that prioritize common interests and greater funding and quality financing.

AA