 |
 |
WHO World Health Organization |
Fifteen
years ago, the UN Commission on Environment and Development broke new ground
by placing people at the heart of the development process. Now, a commission
consisting of eighteen of the world’s leading economists and health experts
– including two Nobel-prize winners and several former finance ministers - has
presented a report which provides a new global blueprint for development to
narrow the gap between the rich and the poor and stimulate growth in the world’s
least developed countries.
The report, Macroeconomics and Health: Investing in Health for Economic Development, again stresses the need to place people at the centre of all we do. More directly, it sees investment in human resources as crucial to overcome the poverty trap of the least developed countries. It sees health as a key factor in economic growth and social development, as a prerequisite for increases in productivity, and for more equitable and effectively functioning societies.
Our world is intent on combating the few who are bent on sowing terror and death in our midst. But we must be equally intent on making life better for the hundreds of millions of poor who do not get their fair share of the world’s wealth and opportunities. We must do so because it contributes to a safer world for all. But most of all, we must do so because it is right. Poverty steals hope, breeds despair and provokes frustration.
Promoting health is a key part of the response. It contributes directly to human security. At the same time, by focusing on global, as well as local, realities, it will help bridge the poverty gap.
Millions of people die every year and millions more suffer from diseases which are easily preventable or treatable, because they – or the countries they live in – are too poor.
The Commission’s report shows how little it takes and how much can be gained by making sure that all countries get a basic, functioning health system. For $34 per person per year, basic health services can be provided. That, however, is three times more than $11 per person per year the poorest countries spend today.
Added up, it means an additional $66 billion needs to be spent on health each year by 2015. Half of this should be provided by developing countries from their own budgets, while the other half should come from increased developing assistance from industrialized countries. That equals only a penny for every ten dollars of the gross domestic product of the world’s rich countries.
The gains will be massive. The commissioners have calculated that eight million lives will be saved each year and that the annual economic benefits will amount to $360 billion – a six-fold return on the investment!
Will the developing countries be able to absorb such an increase in funds and use it effectively? Dr Sachs and his fellow commissioners, which include Dr Mahmohan Singh – the former finance minister of India and former Thai deputy Prime Minister Supachai Panitchpakdi, believe they will.
The key to sustained action and meaningful results will be to ensure that health becomes a priority at the highest levels of political leadership. Political leaders act when they see their populations demand it, and when they see a global trend emerging. Over the past two years, we have seen an increased political commitment to health around the globe. But it is only a beginning. We can all contribute to maintain this momentum.
The Commission recommends that each country sets up their own commissions on macroeconomics and health, which can outline the concrete steps needed to strengthen the health system and scale up well-known, effective interventions against the main diseases of poverty.
The WHO will work with countries as they pursue the ideas in this Report. We will incorporate the Report’s analyses and conclusions into relevant international, regional and national events. We will also encourage countries to act on the Report through pursuing Commission-type work within existing forums, or through establishing their own National Commissions on Economics and Health.
A drastic scaling up of investments in health for the world’s poor will not only save millions of lives, but also produce enormous economic gains. We have the resources and know-how to save millions of lives, turn the tide on global ill health and poverty and harness global economic development. The countries of the world cannot afford to pass up this opportunity for effective action to benefit future generations and safeguard the health of the people and the planet.
Dr Brundtland,
a former Prime Minister f Norway,
is the Director-General
of the World Health Organization
|
The High Level Working Group on Tuberculosis (HLWG) was established on WHO’s initiative in 1999 with the objective to joint development of TB control strategy in the Russian Federation.
The HLWG is composed of representatives from the Ministry of Health (MoH), Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Council of Europe and World Health Organization.
The fifth meeting of the High Level Working Group on tuberculosis in Russia was held 30 January 2002 in the Ministry of Health of the RF. Top-level officials from Ministry of Health, Ministry of Justice and leading TB Research Institutes participated in the meeting. The meeting was chaired by Dr Mikko Vienonen, Special Representative of the WHO Director-General in the Russian Federation. The Annual Report of the HLWG and Thematic Working Groups (TWG) activities carried out in 2001 and Annual Plan for 2002 were considered and adopted at the meeting. The Group took decision to establish an International Coordination Committee within the framework of the HLWG to improve coordination of technical partners (international agencies) and donors acting in the field of TB control in Russia.
Dr Anatoly Vialkov, First Deputy Minister of Health and Academician Mikhail Perelman, Chief TB Specialist of the Ministry of Health, Director of the Research Institute of Phthisiopulmonology, Sechenov’s Moscow Medical Academy, gave their high appraisal of WHO activities and support to the development of TB control in Russia. HLWG members also emphasized that 5-year plan “Provision of Guaranteed Diagnostic and Treatment Procedures for TB Patients and Development of TB Services in Russia” should be completed in February to become the basis for efficient TB control measures and development of TB service in Russia.
According to the adopted Annual Plan the Thematic Working Groups will continue to develop recommendations in many aspects of TB control to be included in the revised strategy. These recommendations will be based on the best Russian experience and be put in line with international standards.
This meeting became another good example of growing Federal commitment to TB control in Russia and good will for cooperation with international community.
8 March International Women’s Day
21 March International Day for the Elimination
of Racial Discrimination
Beginning
21 March Week of Solidarity with the Peoples
Straggling against Racism
and Racial Discrimination
22 March World Day for Water
23 March World Meteorological Day
24 March World TB day
7 April World Health Day
23 April World Book and Copyright Day
|
In 1998, Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) accounted for almost 60% of the global mortality (31.7 million deaths) and 43% of the global burden of disease. By the year 2020, NCDs are expected to account for 73% of the global mortality and 60% of the global burden of disease.
Four of the leading NCDs – cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes – can be linked to common preventable behavioural risk factors including tobacco use, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. WHO member states are urged to address these major NCD risk factors by monitoring their levels and patterns in populations, and using this information to plan and evaluate targeted prevention activities.
To strengthen capacity to collect lifestyle risk factor information, a partnership was formed among the most populous countries in the world – those countries with a population of 100 million or more. This partnership, called the WHO Mega Country Health Promotion Network, consists of Russia, and 10 other very diverse countries, including: Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, and the United States. Together these 11 countries represent over 60% of the world’s population. Data collection strategies shared across these enormous countries can be applied within each country in an integrated manner, linking data collection to NCD health programme and policy development.
WHO works closely with the National Centre for Preventive Medicine (Dr Raphael Oganov, Director) to implement important NCD initiatives in Russia. On 21–22 January 2002, the National Centre for Preventive Medicine held a meeting among representatives from various Russian regions to expand NCD behavioural risk factor data collection efforts. Clear progress on collecting NCD risk factor information was demonstrated by all participating regions.
Dr Kathy Douglas, PhD
Department of Noncommunicable Desease Prevention and Health Promotion, WHO/HQ
|
On January 18 and 19, 2002 Moscow hosted the XIII Meeting of the Council for Cooperation of CIS Member States in Health Care. The forum was attended by representatives of all the CIS countries (excluding Turkmenistan), the CIS Executive Committee and international UN organizations (UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot and Special Representative of the WHO Director General in Russia Dr Mikko Vienonen).
The Meeting discussed urgent issues of health care cooperation including those pertaining to the Program of Actions until the year 2005, sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the CIS countries, social and hygienic monitoring, prevention and elimination of the turnover of counterfeit pharmaceuticals, key principles of the CIS adequate nutrition strategy, the Program of CIS actions to prevent HIV/AIDS epidemic, as well as a number of sanitary and epidemiological regulatory and methodological documents.
A great deal of attention was paid to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.