To achieve this, “richer countries and international financial institutions need to help developing countries make these important investments,” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.
In his opening speech to the World Health Summit in Berlin, via a video message, he began by noting how poorly prepared most of the world is for crises. The annual meeting is organized by the presidents of Germany, France and Senegal, together with WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Women’s burden
“Women are among the hardest hit. They are creating an increasing burden of care, in families and as frontline workers,” he said. But at the same time, many women have lost income due to job loss and lack of safety nets.
He said COVID and now the food, energy and financial shocks caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, are threatening 17 Sustainable development goalsand poverty alleviation efforts.
To advance the SDGs, “we must readjust multilateralism and strengthen global cooperation,” he added.
Beat the developing world
Too little is invested in health and well-being, he declared, and “the unbalanced global financial system is failing the developing world.”
“This has to change. All people need to have comprehensive, objective and equal access to health services to provide universal health coverage”, including neglected mental health services. .
Combined, he said, good health is fundamental to a peaceful and stable society.
The paradigm shifts from ‘sick care’: Tedros
In his remarks at the opening ceremony, WHO Director Tedros said that in order to take the theme of “lifting global health to the next level” next year, this translates into three key priorities.
First, the new pandemic agreement being negotiated by countries and countries is key, so the world can truly come together as one in the face of the next pandemics on par. with COVID-19.
“It won’t give WHO any authority to do anything without the explicit permission of sovereign states,” he assured.
Second, a new “global architecture” is needed that is “coherent and inclusive”. The fractured COVID response clearly shows that new and better tools are needed to underpin it all.
Third, a new global approach must be taken that prioritizes health promotion and disease prevention, not just treating the sick. “Too many health systems ‘don’t provide health care, they provide disease care,'” he said.
Health care is no longer just for one ministry or sector but for “the whole government and the whole society.”
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus welcomed the Henrietta Lacks family for their special dialogue at WHO headquarters in Geneva.
Missing Family as New Goodwill Ambassador
In another development on Sunday, WHO Director Tedros announced the appointment Missing familyas a WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Cervical Cancer Elimination.
Henrietta Lacks, an impoverished African-American woman, died in 1951 of the disease, but has left an extraordinary legacy thanks to the unique properties of cancer cells, becoming an “immortal” cell line. The first, renewable outside the human body, providing countless medical breakthroughs since then.
The so-called HeLa cells were taken from her without her knowledge or consent: “Like the injustice in Henrietta Lacks’ story, women around the world come from racial and ethnic groups Some, face a disproportionately higher risk of cervical cancer,” said Tedros.
Eliminate cervical cancer
“WHO’s goal is to eliminate cervical cancer, which means that the innovations created,” with her cells, “must be made available to all women and girls fairly. We look forward to working with the Lacks family to raise awareness about cervical cancer and promote racial equity in health and science.”
Speaking at a ceremony during the World Health Summit, Alfred Lacks Carter Jr said the family is accepting the honor of serving as a Goodwill Ambassador, “in the spirit of my mother, Deborah Lacks, who has passed away. mother, Henrietta, because of cervical cancer, and worked to ensure that the world recognized her impact. “
