By The new Ethiopian head of World Health Organisation is ready to start his leadership with a touch of exceptional difference. He said that universal health coverage would be a “top priority” during his five-year term as the new WHO chief.
Similarly, the new head of the World Health Organization said it was unacceptable that 1 in 17 people still lack access to essential health services and confirmed that during his leadership, he is set and ready to correct every error in people’s health care.
“Globally an estimated 400 million, approximately 1 in 17 people, lack access to essential health services, that’s unacceptable, it needs a reformation for the better,” Tedros said via video-link, joining a panel debate at Chatham House, a London-based think tank.
According to the WHO, Universal health coverage is based on the principle that everyone should receive the health services they need without suffering financial hardship, the new chief is set to correct this and bring health service to the needed door steps.
It has been confirmed that millions of people in developing countries are tipped into poverty each year because of having to pay healthcare bills. This has consequently led to the death of many. France and Japan have mature universal health systems in place which has helped them tremendously to survive the sector while others such as Ghana, Peru and Vietnam are in the early phase, according to 2016 research by the Lancet medical journal. Tedros is ready to lift the countries in the early phase in order for the people to enjoy good health service.
In addition to Tedros’ statement on universal health coverage, Nobel Prize winning economist, Amartya Sen, also on the panel said:
“Far from being bankrupted, countries would feel significant economic and social benefits if they adopted universal health coverage”
He further citied the example of Kerala, which took up the policy in the 1950s when it was the poorest state in India, Sen said the life expectancy for its inhabitants not only “shot up” but it was now one of the richest states in the country, in part due to its investment in healthcare.
“Health is central to development … it does something dramatically good to economic development,” he concluded.
The expectation is high from the new head of WHO. The world at present needs an improved health service in order to curb the contagious diseases spreading all over. However, the Universal health coverage has been fore seen to be a lasting solution to health care problems by many medical practitioners.