Access to health during the coronavirus pandemic underscored the widespread inequalities between the richest and the less fortunate.
“Our world is unequal. As Covid-19 has shown, some people can lead healthier lives and have better access to health services than others, entirely due to the circumstances in which they are born, grow, live, work and age “, says the World Health Organization (WHO).
This inequality motivated the international organization to dedicate World Health Day, which will be celebrated tomorrow, April 7, to the theme ‘Building a fairer and healthier world’.
The celebration is a campaign in which the entity highlights how, around the world, some groups are struggling to make ends meet with low daily income, worse housing and education conditions and fewer job opportunities, experiencing greater gender inequality and little or no access to have. to safe environments, clean water and air, food security and health services.
Explain that all of this causes unnecessary suffering, preventable illness, and premature deaths. And it also harms our societies and economies.
“This is not only unfair, it is avoidable. That’s why we ask leaders to ensure that all people have living and working conditions that promote good health. At the same time, we urge leaders to monitor health inequalities and ensure that all people have access to quality health services when and where they need them, ”the institution released in a statement.
The measures that, according to WHO, world leaders should take are the following:
Collaborate
Work closely with affected communities and individuals to address the root causes of inequalities and implement solutions – within and beyond the health sector – to address them. The impact will be greatest when governments and communities work together in a coordinated manner.
Collect reliable data
Ensure the collection and use of timely and reliable health data disaggregated by gender, age, income, education, immigration status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant to the national context. Only in this way is it possible to assess inequalities between population subgroups and take measures that have an impact.
Tackle inequalities
Take a government-wide approach to address the root causes of inequalities and invest more in primary health care. This is essential to meet the current challenges of ensuring “Health for All” and to build the resilience of the future.
Trade across borders
Trade abroad. For example, only if we can protect, test and treat the entire world’s population can we end the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only do we need to ensure a fair supply of vaccines, tests and treatments, but we also need to strengthen national and international mechanisms and build community trust and participation in its supply and use so that access is available to all worldwide.
SPECIAL ACTIVITIES
Taller. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) invites the Virtual Panel to “Building a Fairer, Fairer, and Healthier World After COVID-19 in the Americas”. It’s next Wednesday, April 7th from 9:00 am to 10:00 am (Dominican time). It is performed via Zoom, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter with simultaneous translation in English, Spanish, Portuguese, sign language and subtitles.
Dedication. The year 2021 was proclaimed the International Year of Healthcare and Responders “to recognize and thank the unwavering commitment of these workers to the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.”