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Glaring challenges undermining achievement of health-related SDGs – WHO Director General
WHO Director General, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus
Although the Sustainable Development Goal [SDG] Three is the main SDG with an explicit focus on health, at least 10 other goals are also concerned with health issues.
This is according to the World Health Statistics Report of 2018, which states that more than 50 SDG indicators have been agreed upon internationally to measure health outcomes, proximal determinants of health or health-service provision.
These health-related indicators may be grouped into the seven thematic areas of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases [NCDs] and maternal health, injuries and violence, universal health coverage and health systems, environmental risks, health risks and disease outbreaks.
It has been pointed out in the report that despite all the progress made during the Millennium Development Goal era [which preceded the SDGs], major challenges persist in the MDG priority areas.
The eight MDGs, which ranged from halving extreme poverty rates to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education by the target date of 2015, formed a blueprint agreed to by all the world’s countries and all the world’s leading development institutions.
But according to the WHO Statistics Report, in order for true progress to be realised, the challenges associated with the MDGs will still have to be addressed.
“These challenges will have to be addressed if further progress is to be made in reducing maternal and child mortality, improving nutrition and combating communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and malaria,” the Report outlined.
Furthermore, it pointed out the crucial importance of addressing NCDs and their risk factors, such as tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol and environmental conditions, within the sustainable development agenda.
But addressing the crucial concerns, continues to be undermined, since according to the report “in many countries, weak health systems remain an obstacle to progress and lead to shortage in coverage of even the most basic health services, as well as poor preparedness for health emergencies”.
According to WHO Director General, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, although the story detailed in the Statistics report shows that “remarkable progress has been made on several fronts, huge challenges remain if we are to reach the targets for health we have set for ourselves”.
He opined that the situation that exists is that in some areas, progress has stalled and the gains could be easily lost as a result.
Dr. Ghebreyesus cited some examples too. He revealed for instance that while under-five mortality has improved dramatically – yet each and every day in 2016, 15,000 children died before reaching their fifth birthday. He added too that after unprecedented global gains in malaria control, progress has stalled because of a range of challenges, including a lack of sustainable and predictable funding.
And while the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes or cancer has decreased since 2000, he noted that an estimated 13 million people under the age of 70 still died due to these diseases in 2016.
“Maintaining the momentum towards the SDGs is only possible if countries have the political will and the capacity to prioritize regular, timely and reliable data collection to guide policy decisions and public health interventions. I care about outcomes and about accountability and I want to ensure that WHO, together with our partners, is doing all we can to get countries on track to reach the SDGs,” asserted Dr. Ghebreyesus.
But there is hope as according to the Director General WHO’s 13the General Programme is strategically designed to help countries achieve the SDGs. “At its heart are the ambitious “triple billion” targets: one billion more people benefitting from universal health coverage [UHC]; one billion more people better protected from health emergencies; and one billion more people enjoying better health and well-being,” he shared.
He added too, “To keep ourselves accountable, we have developed an “Impact Framework” for the 13th General Programme of Work, aligned with the SDGs. This will allow us to measure the only progress that really matters: less death and disease, and more healthy living for everyone, everywhere.”
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