Heads of States of over 190 countries who will attend the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in September 2018 will debate on theme around "sustainable societies". Global health security is inalienable to sustainable development, where "no one is left behind".
While on one hand the call for accelerating research and development for new diagnostics, treatments and vaccines etc is getting more compelling attention (and rightly so), on the other hand we are also losing effective drugs, that are no longer working due to drug resistance. Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) is threatening to push us back to the pre-antibiotic era. More alarming is the fact that the number of new drug-resistant cases of tuberculosis (TB) for instance, are not declining, but rising.
Not just drug-resistant TB, but today the world is slipping more towards the risk of dealing with ‘superbugs’ that are virtually untreatable, including drug-resistant gonorrhea. Growing threat of Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) in animal and human world is proving to be a big bottleneck in efforts for elimination of diseases (like TB, malaria, etc). Eliminating TB and malaria are among the targets of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which 193 countries have promised to deliver by 2030. But unless we ensure effective prevention options, diagnostics and drugs-that-work reach every person in need, and health systems are strong enough to ensure health security for everyone "where no one is left behind", how are we going to ensure Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and furthermore, meet the aspirational goals of SDGs?
Also it is noteworthy to remember that not just SDGs promises UHC to become a reality globally, but in shorter timeframe, the World Health Organization (WHO)'s 13th General Programme of Work (GPW) 2019-2023 has a measurable "Triple Billion" goal, which is important, as it can be a stepping stone towards the UHC goals for 2030. These Triple Billion goals promise:
- Healthier populations (1 billion more people enjoying better health and well-being),
- UHC (1 billion more people benefitting from universal health coverage), and
- health emergencies (1 billion more people better protected from heatlh emergencies).
Tuesday, 18th September 2018
Time: 1pm-2pm Geneva time
Panel of experts:
- Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Deputy Director General for Programmes, World Health Organization (WHO) | Presentation
- Dr Tim France, Managing Director of Inis Communication; and noted thought leader on global health security and sustainable development | Watch 35:50 - 47:25 of webinar recording for his presentation
- Dr KS Sachdeva, Deputy Director General of Central TB Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India | Presentation
- Dr Kamini Walia, Senior Scientist, Division of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR); currently leading setting up of Antimicrobial Surveillance Network of ICMR | Watch 25:20 - 35:50 of webinar recording for her presentation
- Ashok Ramsarup (Moderator) | former senior producer, South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Durban, South Africa
- Shobha Shukla (Moderator) | Managing Editor, CNS (Citizen News Service)
Thanks
CNS eLearning Programme Team
Email: webinar@citizen-news.org
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