Accelerating Global Health: Pathways to Health Equity for the G20
Overview
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of investing in strong health systems for countries to be able to respond to the myriad health issues that continue to confront the world—from climate change, antimicrobial resistance, and the threat of future pandemics, to chronic diseases that account for seven of every 10 deaths worldwide. G20 member states are in a unique position to tackle these urgent issues at the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September 2023. These countries account for 85 percent of global GDP, over 75 percent of global trade, and approximately two-thirds of the world’s total population. Given that sustainable development and good health and well-being for all (SDG 3) are deeply intertwined, addressing global health inequity should be at the centre stage of the G20’s primary objectives of promoting financial stability and economic growth.
Enhancing the capacities of health systems in all countries to effectively address both pandemic threats and essential healthcare needs is essential. This necessitates co-investments in building a diverse and skilled health workforce that can serve the global population, and strengthening health systems so that they are capable of effectively responding to health crises and meeting the healthcare needs of populations. Without urgent global action, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, there could be a shortfall of 10 million healthcare workers by 2030, largely in the developing world.
In Chapter Fourteen, Wenzhen Zuo, Huan Xu, Lizzie Tecson, Bettina Borisch, Sadaf Lynnes, Laura Magaña, Priscilla Robinson, Duncan Selbie and Jim Campbell discuss the ways that COVID-19 pandemic tested our core public health capacities and exposed the weaknesses in health systems around the world. As countries build their public health capacities and fill the health systems gaps exposed during the pandemic, a key way forward is to strengthen national health systems by investing more on the public health workforce.