WHO calls for better preparedness against diseases

The World Health Organization has recommended the strengthening of the health system right from the grassroots level. It pointed out the pandemic which assumed global proportions within no time has exposed the defects in medical and health systems of the world.

Hyderabad: The Indian Council of Medical Research had in July last year emphasized on the preparedness to fight ten dangerous viral infections like Ebola, Yellow Fever, Avian Influenza and others in view of the harm they could cause to the public health.

The Coronavirus pandemic proved to be more disastrous to the global health systems as it claimed 18 lakh lives and destroyed economies across the globe. While lamenting that the year 2020 destroyed the World’s health, the World Health Organization has stated that the pandemic which assumed global proportions within no time has exposed the defects in medical and health systems of the World. The WHO also expressed alarm the pandemic destructed all the fruits of development achieved as a result of two decade long efforts in various fields of medicine.

At a time when the equipment required to fight the pandemic is getting materialized, the World Health Organization has announced a ten-point action plan to be implemented by the countries of the World.

While emphasizing that nobody is safe until everyone is safe, the WHO has called upon everyone to join hands in solidarity for the health of the World. It has also proposed the creation of a “Bio Bank” for the speedy production of vaccines. The organization is expressing concern over the fact that the hefty expenses are involved in curing diseases, forcing numerous people into poverty. In India, around six crore people fall into the abyss of poverty due to the heavy expenses during medical contingencies.

The World Health Organization maintains that seven out of the ten major reasons for Covid deaths are non-communicable diseases. The organization is also calling for care to be taken about psychological health and tobacco menace to keep the disease at bay. This is indeed a road map to a Swastha Bharat (Healthy India).

The High-Level Group on the Health sector constituted under the 15th Finance Commission had recommended that the right to health be declared a fundamental right. It also suggested announcement to that effect be made on the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence which falls next year.

India is home to 17 per cent population of the World. However, it is also occupied by 20 per cent of disease afflicted in the World. The country presents a tragic situation on the health services front, which is plagued by scarcities and laxities.

The World Bank had long back stated that 90 per cent of diseases can be cured at the Primary Health Care level. The insufficiencies plaguing the primary health care sector is the cause of lakhs of deaths in the country. Non-communicable diseases have far exceeded the communicable diseases in terms of their devastating effects and mortalities.

India has earned an ill reputation as the capital of diabetes, though the country is in no way lagging behind in the prevalence of blood pressure, cancer and heart disease.

Under the National Health Mission, the government of India launched the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardio-Vascular diseases and Stroke in the year 2010. However, the programme could not achieve much as it was confined to conduct tests on people that visited the health centres rather than filter the entire populace for those suffering from non-communicable diseases.

According to available records, 27 crore people in the country are suffering from non-communicable diseases. As most of the victims that fell prey to Covid-19 carried co-morbidities in the form of non-communicable diseases, the government has decided to give Covid vaccine to those persons in the first phase itself.

The expansion of health services and maintenance of records should be such that it should give the exact figures of people with NCDs. It is also worth keeping in mind that the chances of smokers getting infected by pneumonia are 14 times greater than non-smokers. Still allowing smoking is like playing the game of death with public health.

The WHO has also recommended the strengthening of the health system right from the grassroots level.