Global health progress may be being reversed due to various crises worldwide

Global health progress may be being reversed due to various crises worldwide

In a joint op-ed, German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, health ministers from France, Norway, and Mauritania, and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus have expressed serious concerns about negative developments in global health due to parallel crises. These crises include climate change impacts, air pollution, fragmentation and stress on global health infrastructure, ongoing pandemic preparedness gaps, and inequities.

The World Health Summit, scheduled to take place in Berlin from October 12-14, 2025, is set to be a key platform for addressing these issues. As the summit enters its 13th year, it continues to gather actors from various sectors to collaborate on global health matters.

The WHO's approach at the summit includes driving innovative and equitable solutions for pandemic preparedness and response, addressing climate change as a core health challenge, exploring digital health strategies, and engaging a multi-sectoral group of stakeholders to set a comprehensive global health agenda.

The summit's theme, "Taking Responsibility for Health in a Fragmenting World," reflects the urgency to unify global efforts amidst multiple crises. The authors of the op-ed stress that every unvaccinated child, every village without healthcare personnel, and every disease outbreak challenges health equity.

In addition to the World Health Summit, it was reported that Bavaria is expanding hospice and palliative care with new funding. This expansion is not directly related to the global health crises addressed in the op-ed but is an ongoing effort to improve healthcare services in the region.

The authors argue that the WHO must be adequately equipped during crises, as regular contributions from member states are not sufficient. They see supporting the World Health Organization (WHO) as a cost-effective and sustainable investment in global health, potentially saving 40 million lives in the next four years.

The World Health Summit is under the patronage of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and it is expected to be attended by health ministers and the WHO chief. Furthermore, a WHO investment round focusing on additional payments from countries will take place on Monday at the World Health Summit. The authors argue that strengthening national health systems alone is not sufficient to ensure global health, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation and equitable access to health products.

The 2022 World Health Summit (13-15 October) brings together actors from politics, science, business, and civil society from around the world, providing a valuable opportunity for collaboration and dialogue on global health issues. The upcoming World Health Summit 2025 aims to build stronger, more resilient global health architecture capable of facing future challenges.

1. The concerns about global health due to parallel crises, as expressed by German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach and other health ministers, include climate change impacts and air pollution.
2. The WHO's strategy at the World Health Summit involves innovative and equitable solutions for pandemic preparedness and response.
3. Climate change is viewed as a core health challenge by the WHO during the summit.
4. Digital health strategies will be explored at the World Health Summit by a multi-sectoral group of stakeholders.
5. The summit's theme, "Taking Responsibility for Health in a Fragmenting World," reflects the urgency to unify global efforts amidst multiple crises.
6. Unvaccinated children, villages without healthcare personnel, and disease outbreaks challenge health equity, according to the authors of the op-ed.
7. Bavaria is expanding hospice and palliative care with new funding, but it's not directly related to the global health crises addressed in the op-ed.
8. The authors argue that the WHO must be adequately equipped during crises, as regular contributions from member states are not sufficient.
9. Supporting the World Health Organization (WHO) is seen as a cost-effective and sustainable investment in global health, potentially saving 40 million lives in the next four years.
10. The World Health Summit is under the patronage of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
11. Health ministers and the WHO chief are expected to attend the World Health Summit, and a WHO investment round focusing on additional payments from countries will take place on Monday.
12. Strengthening national health systems alone is not sufficient to ensure global health, as emphasized by the authors, who stress the importance of international cooperation and equitable access to health products.
13. The 2022 World Health Summit provides a valuable opportunity for collaboration and dialogue on global health issues, bringing together actors from politics, science, business, and civil society from around the world.
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