WHO Approves a Four-Year Plan for Global Health
11.1 Billion Dollars to Tackle Global Health Challenges
During the World Health Assembly in Geneva, delegates approved a four-year plan worth 11.1 billion dollars to improve global health. The plan, called the Fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW14), will cover the period 2025-28 and focuses on six strategic objectives.
Program Focus: Climate Change and Health
Among the key objectives of GPW14 is managing climate change, which represents a growing source of dangers. This phenomenon is exacerbating the vulnerability of healthcare systems and increasing health disparities. The program seeks to strengthen the resilience of healthcare systems and protect the most vulnerable populations by promoting robust and sustainable health policies.
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) strategy has emphasized that this focus is vital, as climate change has a drastic effect on global health. Dr. Maria Neira, Director of the WHO Department for Environment, Climate Change, and Health, noted that this approach will enable greater protection for the most exposed populations and reinforce the solidity of healthcare services.
Improving Primary Healthcare
GPW14 places a strong emphasis on primary healthcare and restoring the capacity of all healthcare systems to ensure that everyone receives medical care indiscriminately. It aims to promote equitable access to healthcare services, improve financial protection, and reduce health inequalities. The goal is to ensure that everyone, regardless of their economic situation, can easily access quality healthcare services.
WHO has emphasized the importance of addressing factors influencing health and underlying root causes of poor health with parallel policies integrated across sectors. This comprehensive strategy is essential for improving the health and well-being of the entire global population.
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated how important it is for public health to have well-organized healthcare systems capable of responding quickly and effectively to health emergencies.
In this context, WHO announced that the second roundtable of executive directors of the Tuberculosis Vaccine Accelerator Project was held in Geneva at the end of May, and an agreement was reached on three principles to ensure that new tuberculosis vaccines are developed, authorized, and distributed very rapidly.
The overall goal is also to improve global preparedness and response to diseases by reporting that such vaccines will be readily available to all those who can benefit the most from them.
The objective of GPW14 also includes integrating healthcare services and financial protection, ensuring that all people, regardless of their socio-economic status, have access to quality healthcare.
WHO is currently working to strengthen equity policies in healthcare and increase access to essential services, especially for the most vulnerable people in society.
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