As members of the global medical body, the World Medical Association (WMA) converged in Kigali, Rwanda, for their 74th General Assembly, the outgoing President of the body, Dr Osahon Enabulele, has advocated the urgent need to bridge what he described as the widening health inequality gaps towards attaining global health security for all.
Enabulele, whose tenure ends on October 6, 2023, made the remarks in a speech delivered at the Scientific Session of the Assembly of the WMA, jointly put together by the Rwanda Medical Association and WMA.
He noted that the topic of the session was apt, especially in the light of experience learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic and other health emergencies, which he noted adversely affected humanity with great loss of lives.
The outgoing head of the global medical body said to ensure a global health security, some proactive and reactive measures must be put in place to minimise the danger and impact of acute public health event that endangers people’s health across geographical regions and international boundaries.
He said, “It involves building resilient health systems that are inclusive, adaptive, efficient, effective, and meets present expectations and addresses present and future challenges such as weak health systems, brain drain and burn-out of physicians and other health professionals, Antimicrobial resistance, and climate change.
“It therefore requires sustained investments in all the building blocks of the health system, including health infrastructure, medicines, diagnostics, vaccines, health management information and surveillance systems.”
He further added “that unless and until there is a move towards a more sincere address of the widening health inequalities, and disparities across the world, with promotion of an inclusive and equitable world, the search for Global Health Security may be in vain.
“Inequities in prioritising health issues, and in the deployment and sharing of resources, including health innovations and technologies such as Augmented Intelligence and digital health, poor management of the Social determinants of health, and neglect of tropical diseases, have created opportunities for the resurgence of diseases that were once controlled in some areas. It has also affected the attainment of Universal Health.”
Conclusively, Enabulele called for the cessation of the Russia-Ukraine war and other conflicts around the world as they endanger global health security.
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