The global crisis unleashed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed how vulnerable we are. Nobody or anything, not even the countries that are considered more ‘developed’ are safe from an emergency like this, although it is true that in general they are the same ones who always end up losing much more.
Experts from numerous disciplines have already been warning: this pandemic is just one of the many crises that we may suffer in the near future , many of them derived from our way of treating the planet and the neglect to which we have subjected aspects so relevant to our survival : health and science.
The World Health Organization (WHO) published in January a list of thirteen problems that threaten the health and well-being of the world in the next ten years. One of his predictions, that of a new pandemic of an unknown virus, has already been fulfilled, but we are in time to prevent the other threats.
“We have to realize that health is an investment for the future. Countries invest heavily in protecting their people from terrorist attacks, but not against the attack of a virus, which could be far more deadly and far more economically and socially damaging. A pandemic can bring the economy and nations to their knees , ”said Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus, WHO director at the time. The Organization also insisted that public health is a political choice, as evidenced by the fact that the difference in life expectancy is up to 18 years depending on whether one lives in a rich or poor country.
Health and climate change
We have already talked at length about the effects of climate change on the economy, well-being and human health. The same emissions that cause global warming are responsible for more than a quarter of deaths from heart attacks, strokes, lung cancers, and chronic respiratory diseases.
The global increase in temperatures also increases the probability of the spread of diseases such as dengue or malaria, currently restricted to warmer areas, due to the increase in the distribution of their usual vectors such as mosquitoes.
Conflict places
In 2019, most of the disease outbreaks requiring the highest level of response occurred in countries with protracted conflict.
More justice in health care
Socioeconomic differences also affect access to health. Generally, people or communities in places with lower socioeconomic well-being also have poorer health and access to health services.
Access to medicines
About a third of the world’s people lack access to medicines, vaccines, diagnostic tools and other essential health products. Low access to health products can put patients at risk and increase resistance to antibiotics.
Infectious diseases
It is estimated that some four million people could die in 2020 due to diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, malaria or viral hepatitis, many of them preventable and curable. The root causes of this scourge are insufficient levels of funding and weak health systems in endemic countries, along with a lack of commitment from rich countries.
An inevitable pandemic
At number six on the list, the WHO said: “a pandemic of a new highly infectious virus in the air, most likely a strain of flu, to which most people lack immunity, is inevitable.” The document also stated that in general much more is spent responding to new disease outbreaks than preventing and curing them. ” It is not about whether another pandemic will strike, but when and how much it will strike, as it will spread rapidly and potentially threaten millions of lives .”
Healthy food and products for everyone
In this section, the WHO denounces that, while in some areas of the world hunger and food insecurity threaten human health, in others it is obesity and excess consumption of saturated fat and sugar that causes greater concern.
Invest in healthcare personnel
Another priority that has become clear during the global emergency. A precarious and weak health system is not in a position to respond to a pandemic as it should. “ Chronic underinvestment in health worker education and employment, coupled with a lack of a living wage, has led to health worker shortages around the world. This endangers health and social care services and sustainable health systems ”.
Protection of adolescents
“More than a million adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 die each year. The leading causes of death in this age group are road injuries, HIV, suicide, lower respiratory infections, and interpersonal violence. The harmful use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs, lack of physical activity, unprotected sex and previous exposure to child abuse increase the risk ”.
Public trust
It is necessary to build scientific literacy and health education on a global level. Disinformation is very dangerous, and this is revealed by movements such as anti-vaccines.
New technologies
“New technologies are revolutionizing our ability to prevent, diagnose and treat many diseases. Genome editing, synthetic biology, and digital health technologies such as artificial intelligence can solve many problems, but they also pose new questions and challenges for monitoring and regulation. Without a deeper understanding of their ethical and social implications, these new technologies, which include the ability to create new organisms, could harm the people they are supposed to help. “
Antibiotic resistance
Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest threats to global health, food security and development today.
Clean health care
Many countries have many problems of access to water with sufficient health guarantees, and this is also a factor that makes health care extremely difficult. “Approximately one in four health facilities around the world lacks basic water services”, denounces the WHO.
