Achieving the theme for World Health Day 2023, ‘Health for All’ is a tall order!
While there are many expectations for improvements in our world health, due to promises in AI, innovations in omics technologies, materials & nanotechnology etc., the actual realization of excellence in healthcare will boil down to getting some basics right!
Not only excellence in treatment of common ailments, but also on improvement of diagnostic tools and preventive health care/wellness, including: · Availability of vaccines of all kinds to general public · Regular, mandatory screening programs for common issues like blood pressure, diabetes as well as cancers & other diseases · Increase in rehabilitation resources for recovering patients from various illnesses including development of communities where people & families can find the necessary support · Accessibility & resources promoting inclusivity of people with disabilities · Quality childcare where children are taken care of and also provided with quality stimulation and excellent nutrition for growth · Women’s and children’s health - more research and research funding allocation · Rare diseases research and funding allocation has to increase exponentially · Organ donation - universal improvements in policies, procedures and their implementation · Neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases – increased workforce, research and sensitization · Geriatric population studies · Health, fitness and wellness education; nutrition & exercise physiology · Mental health research, improvement in international policies and sensitization
Some of the biggest challenges will be in implementing all of the above in addition to latest trends in treatment & diagnostics equally among all countries. Ensuring such accessibility, equity and ethics would remain the biggest challenge in our future. Unless new tools and technologies are monitored for safety & ethics, and made available equally for every man, woman and child, we can unfortunately never claim healthcare for all!
While there are many expectations for improvements in our world health, due to promises in AI, innovations in omics technologies, materials & nanotechnology etc., the actual realization of excellence in healthcare will boil down to getting some basics right!
Not only excellence in treatment of common ailments, but also on improvement of diagnostic tools and preventive health care/wellness, including:
· Availability of vaccines of all kinds to general public
· Regular, mandatory screening programs for common issues like blood pressure, diabetes as well as cancers & other diseases
· Increase in rehabilitation resources for recovering patients from various illnesses including development of communities where people & families can find the necessary support
· Accessibility & resources promoting inclusivity of people with disabilities
· Quality childcare where children are taken care of and also provided with quality stimulation and excellent nutrition for growth
· Women’s and children’s health - more research and research funding allocation
· Rare diseases research and funding allocation has to increase exponentially
· Organ donation - universal improvements in policies, procedures and their implementation
· Neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases – increased workforce, research and sensitization
· Geriatric population studies
· Health, fitness and wellness education; nutrition & exercise physiology
· Mental health research, improvement in international policies and sensitization
Some of the biggest challenges will be in implementing all of the above in addition to latest trends in treatment & diagnostics equally among all countries. Ensuring such accessibility, equity and ethics would remain the biggest challenge in our future. Unless new tools and technologies are monitored for safety & ethics, and made available equally for every man, woman and child, we can unfortunately never claim healthcare for all!