Report of the Regional Director 21 - Conclusion
Report of the Regional Director 2021 - Conclusion
Conclusions and looking ahead
In the year ahead, COVID-19 and access to essential supplies are likely to continue as defining issues in global health, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where there is delayed access to vaccines. The available doses are expected to sharply increase in the coming months as the world’s largest economies start to share their surplus supplies. Advocacy for equitable access to life-saving products, such as vaccines, should remain a priority, so that the most at-risk groups in all countries are protected first. This goes for COVID-19 and other major health issues.
Countries in the African Region carry a disproportionate burden of threats to health, such as malaria, HIV, TB, neglected tropical diseases, and epidemic-prone diseases like yellow fever, Ebola and cholera. It is in the interest of all countries globally to neutralize these threats.
In the recovery from this pandemic, international solidarity and strong multilateral institutions should be emphasized to build on the collaboration around COVID-19 towards advancing universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals.
In the recovery from this pandemic, international solidarity and strong multilateral institutions should be emphasized to build on the collaboration around COVID-19 towards advancing universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals. New platforms such as the COVAX Facility and the UN Supply Portal are good starting points that can be further improved to contribute to global resilience and rapid response.
In the wake of past health crises, some lessons learnt were actioned, but overall the world returned to business as usual. COVID-19 is an opportunity to change this narrative and to really invest in preparedness and mitigation measures across sectors to protect against future shocks. This requires that all countries work together, and also look inwards and prioritize improving the living conditions of the most marginalized members of our communities.
The young and talented populations across African countries are a tremendous resource that should be equipped and enabled to come up with homegrown, innovative solutions to advance health and development. Governments need to create the space and systems for these innovations to be developed and taken up. Partnerships with the private sector, civil society and academia will be vital to mobilizing the resources and networks needed to accelerate improvements in health outcomes.
COVID-19 is an opportunity to change this narrative and to really invest in preparedness and mitigation measures across sectors to protect against future shocks.
As WHO, we remain committed to supporting Member States in the WHO African Region, and globally, to save lives, promote health and serve the vulnerable.