The 75th World Health Assembly (WHA) is underway in Switzerland where presidents, Heads of State and leaders in the health sector at both national and global levels are in attendance. You could have easily missed the occasion amid the din raised by the Russia-Ukraine war.
The last couple of WHA events have been extraordinary because they were held virtually due to travel and social distancing restrictions to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The coronavirus has been the biggest challenge to global health in a century.
The WHA this year has taken on added significance. First, there seems to be some respite this year as the event is being held in-person. It means that the pandemic is now more or less manageable in controlled environments. Moreover, the choice of Geneva, known as the peace capital of the world, is symbolic.
The 2022 WHA theme is “Health for Peace, Peace for Health”. The interconnectedness between the two cannot be gainsaid. Health is one of the most critical and basic human rights whose lack triggers a domino effect inimical to human existence.
The world has learned crucial lessons from the way countries have handled COVID-19.
For the first time the vulnerability of otherwise indomitable nations was exposed. At the height of the epidemic countries like the U.S. became unstable in ways that made them inadequate in surmounting otherwise conquerable challenges.
The country became unstable as its citizens became restless and almost turned on one another as supplies were curtailed due to stress-related anti-pandemic measures. This proves that prioritizing health is not an option. It is a mandatory measure by any responsible government.
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In its white paper on the fight against COVID-19 dated June 2020, titled, “Fighting COVID-19: China in Action,” the country narrates its efforts in curbing the spread of the coronavirus both at home and abroad. The paper stated: “Making people’s lives and health its first priority, China adopted extensive, stringent, and thorough containment measures, and has for now succeeded in cutting all channels for the transmission of the virus.”
In the face of cynicism particularly by the West, China has stuck to its zero-COVID strategy to safeguard the health of its people and their livelihoods as well. The critics ignore the many benefits of this strict but dynamic strategy. China has registered the least number of infections and deaths from the disease per capita, registered higher economic growth than other major
economies and even stabilized global economic growth, with projections of its role placed at
20 percent through 2024.
Over the years, some of the biggest conflicts have triggered global health crises. For instance, as some governments turn their attention to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, they have ignored sectors that affect global health. Observers say the Western world’s massive aid to Ukraine with billions of dollars has diverted funds that would otherwise go towards humanitarian causes like donations of food and drugs to poor countries.
Millions of people are facing starvation as a result of food insecurity. The war has also aggravated the global food crisis particularly in developing countries that rely on the two warring nations for their wheat, fertilizer, and vegetable oils imports. It is gradually leading to what the United Nations terms as “mass hunger and famine”, whose effect on the health of vulnerable demographics will be far reaching. Wars and similar incidents of instability also lead to a spiraling of the cost of living due to interference with supply chains.
The issue of mental health has taken center stage in recent years, particularly with the onset of the pandemic. The lack of peace of mind has triggered an amplification of violence, homicides and suicides. This has been mainly attributed to the increasing socio-economic and political instability in many places.
Peace is not simply the lack of war. It encompasses, as the Oxford dictionary defines it, “freedom from disturbance and tranquility”. Social security, therefore, becomes an integral part of health. This includes protection from the fear of tomorrow amid the growing uncertainties.
World leaders need to revisit the concept of peace dividend. Wars and conflict have cost the world trillions of dollars, including the direct and indirect toll on humanity. The “wasted” resources can be invested in improving and securing the health of the world’s people, which would definitely lead to a tremendous transformation of their lives.
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Ultimately, while prevention is better than cure, drugs should be made universally available and affordable. In COVID-19, some developed countries perpetuated vaccine apartheid on account of unaffordability by poor countries. Conversely, China rose to the occasion with donations of billions of vaccine doses around the world.
Indeed, China’s proposed “Global Community of Health for All” should be a guiding mantra where science and empathy override geopolitical manipulation and hegemony. Among other lessons we can borrow from the Chinese experience in fighting COVID-19, we should establish a collective response to fighting disease, and support the relevant international organizations in playing their roles effectively.
