We all value our health and that of our loved ones. However, despite great advances in science and innovation, our health is under threat, even in the most developed countries. As healthcare leaders, we have a responsibility to ensure the health and safety of our citizens, and we must do so equitably. No one should be left behind. We know this is a necessary investment to help secure and build countries’ wealth and establish trust in governments, global institutions and multilateral approaches to promote health for all. One of the most important steps is to support and strengthen national health systems, something that all countries have committed to do by signing up to the Sustainable Development Goals.
However, we know that this alone is no longer enough: all countries must invest in their common security and safety: no one will be safe until everyone is safe. We can only do this by looking beyond borders, on a regional and global scale. We must strengthen health systems and health security around the world by supporting all countries, especially the least developed ones. We have expressed this through statements and measures within the United Nations and other multilateral forums.
We must strengthen health systems and health security around the world by supporting all countries, especially the least developed ones
One of the most cost-effective and sustainable investments that can be made to achieve a healthier and safer world for all is to invest in a technically and operationally sound World Health Organization. Representing 194 countries, WHO has a unique reach and mandate to act as a leading force in global health, bringing together top scientists, national decision-makers and health partners. health sphere. However, to be successful, the WHO must be equipped to be flexible, reliable and efficient. For this reason, WHO Member States have decided to invest in the organization and support the historic first round of investments in the WHO.
The WHO investment round, which will take center stage at the World Health Summit in Berlin today, offers a unique opportunity for countries to come together in support of global health. Every dollar invested in WHO offers a return of $35 (32 euros) and can help save 40 million lives over the next four years. Full and sustainable funding will enable WHO to help countries build healthier, stronger and more prosperous communities.
Many governments have committed to global health by supporting childhood vaccination, the fight against HIV/AIDS and the eradication of polio; creating community health programs and building hospitals; and supporting research and science. However, these successes and programs are threatened by numerous simultaneous crises that put immense pressure on national budgets.
The successes [sanitarios] are threatened by numerous simultaneous crises that put immense pressure on national budgets
However, Covid-19 taught us that in today’s hyperconnected world, disease outbreaks can trigger a pandemic that can inflict economic and social losses far greater than the essential investment needed to prevent and respond to them. We have learned, outbreak after outbreak, that this investment requires a response and commitment from all of society and all government agencies. At the same time, it calls for solidarity and international agreements so that countries, when the next crisis hits, know that they can trust each other, whether to share knowledge and countermeasures or to support actions that avoid major disruptions to international trade. , all in order to protect people’s lives and livelihoods.
Every unvaccinated child, every village without a community health worker, and every outbreak tests our commitment to health equity. We must go beyond individual interests to support the most vulnerable and, in doing so, protect us all. We maintain that one of the strongest investments in global health is that made in favor of the WHO. Countries are already doing this through their regular contributions. However, there is a clear understanding that in times of crisis this is not enough. That is why the investment round in the WHO is so important. Investing in the WHO is both a financial commitment to the organization and a political commitment to multilateralism. Above all, it is an investment in the health of all nations in the world and in global health. We ask others to join us. We have no choice: we must work together.