The Challenge of Global Health: How Can We Do Better?

I would like to say a few words, about what I consider to be the global health crisis of today, which is essential in order to speak about the future of global health collaboration. And in this context, we must consider a key actor in this field, which is, of course, the World Health Organization (WHO). I think it is relatively clear that we live in a world with large and growing inequities in health. There are vast disparities in health status across the globe. We see the gaps widening dramatically between the health haves and the health have-nots, whether this occurs intercountry, intergender, interrace, interethnic group, or interso many things. We see a dramatic decrease in access to quality health care, making a significant contribution to mass-scale deprivation both in the pockets of the rich northern countries as well as on a massive scale in the poor, developing countries of the south. The statistics are all there, from vulnerable groups in Latin America, Central Eastern Europe, South Asia, and above all, sub-Saharan Africa. What are the factors behind this devolution? The full picture would take hours, but allow me to discuss two issues which are close to my heart. First, I see a frightening global laissez-faire mentality in our increasingly amoral world, which is allowing global casino economics to ride roughshod over political, civil, social, economic, and cultural rights. In turn, this laissez-faire approach has removed a good deal of the solidarity, a good deal of the caring attitudes, that existed in the wake of the World War II. In addition, I see that we are continuing, almost vehemently, to ignore the lack of insight into the intersectoral and synergistic nature of most health promotion and health