Opinion

Keeping the hope for health alive

Gaps remain in the world’s readiness to prevent the next pandemic, but 2024 offers a unique opportunity to address these gaps

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Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
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Keeping the hope for health alive

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
last update on

The year 2023 was a year of milestones and challenges in global public health.

In May, I declared an end to COVID-19 as a public health emergency of international concern. This marked a turning point for the world following three years of crisis, pain, and loss for people everywhere. I’m glad to see that life has returned to normal.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that the M-POX outbreak no longer represented a global health emergency, and we approved new vaccines for malaria, dengue, and meningitis — diseases that threaten millions worldwide, mainly the most vulnerable.

Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, and Belize were declared malaria-free, and a range of neglected tropical diseases were eliminated in multiple countries, including sleeping sickness in Ghana, trachoma in Benin, Mali and Iraq, and lymphatic filariasis in Bangladesh and Lao.

The path to eradicating another vaccine-preventable disease – polio – reached its last mile, while 30 more countries introduced the HPV vaccine as the world advances toward eliminating cervical cancer.

The need to address the health impacts of the climate crisis was elevated to the highest political levels. Governments, scientists, and advocates put health prominently on the COP28 agenda for the first time, issuing a global declaration on climate and health.

Read more: COP28 centres public health in global warming debate for first time

Furthermore, heads of state at the United Nations General Assembly committed to advancing universal health coverage, ending tuberculosis, and protecting the world from future pandemics.

These achievements and many more demonstrated the power of science, solutions, and solidarity to protect and promote health.

Without peace, there is no health, and without health, there can be no peace.

Avoidable suffering

But 2023 has also been a year of immense and avoidable suffering and threats to health.

The attacks by Hamas on Israel on 7 October left around 1,200 people dead and more than 200 taken hostage. Reports of gender-based violence and mistreatment of hostages are deplorable.

This was followed by the unleashing of a devastating attack on Gaza, which has killed more than 23,000 people — mainly women and children — and injured more than 60,000.

At the same time, hospitals and health workers have been repeatedly attacked, while relief efforts are not coming close to meeting the needs of people. 

As of 22 December, only nine of the 36 health facilities in Gaza were partially functional, with only four offering the most basic services in the north.

For this reason, we call again for an immediate ceasefire.

War and armed hostilities, sadly, have plagued too many other locations around the world, including Sudan, Ukraine, Ethiopia, and Myanmar, to name but a few.

I saw first-hand the suffering of war-weary people in north-west Syria who, like the communities I also visited in neighbouring Türkiye, were devastated by the terrible earthquake in February.

Without peace, there is no health, and without health, there can be no peace.

Governments are negotiating the first-ever global agreement to protect communities, countries, and the world from the threat posed by pandemics.

Pandemic Accord

Insecurity, poverty, and lack of access to clean water and hygiene fanned the spread of infectious diseases in many countries.

The resurgence of cholera is especially concerning, with a record number of over 40 outbreaks around the world.

Finally, in terms of emergency preparedness and response, gaps remain in the world's readiness to prevent the next pandemic. But 2024 offers a unique opportunity to address these gaps.

Governments are negotiating the first-ever global agreement to protect communities, countries, and the world from the threat posed by pandemics.

The Pandemic Accord is being designed to bridge the gaps in global collaboration, cooperation, and equity.

Together with plans to strengthen the International Health Regulations, they represent monumental actions by governments to create a safer and healthier world.

As the WHO closes out our 75th year as the "world's" health organisation, I sincerely thank health workers, partners, and WHO colleagues for our shared journey to achieve 'Health for All'.

Lastly, I am sure that everyone will join me in hoping that the New Year will bring peace, health, and prosperity to everyone worldwide.

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