New York- January 16, 2014, H. E Dr Agnes Binagwaho, Minister of Health took part in a panel discussion held to introduce the notion of Global Convergence in Global Health and exploring the crucial need to integrate it into the Post 2015 framework. The event hosted by the Permanent Mission of Norway and the Global Health 2035, invited Dr. Binagwaho to take part in a panel of experts that included Dr. Margaret Kruk from Columbia University, a commissioner of Global Health 2035; Dr. Gavin Yamey of the Global Health Group; Dr. Ariel Pablos Mendez of USAID and Dr. Srinath Reddy, President of the Public Health Foundation of India.
The event tiled “Towards a Global Convergence in Global Health: What convergence means for health after 2015” was at the occasion to launch the report: Global Health 2035, that was put together by 25 renowned economist and global health experts from around the world, who came together from December 12 to July 2013, in order to revisit the case for health investment and it was published on December 3, 2013.
This Lancet Commission explores the possibility of achieving immense progress in global health by 2035, through grand convergence towards reduction of preventable infectious, maternal and child deaths to low levels universally. The report considers the capability of forming an SDG around the grand convergence of global health. The said report was published on December 3, 2013, and this was its first launch in New York. In a nutshell, the report makes the case that the return on investing in health is even greater than previously estimated.
Bringing a localized example, Rwandan Minister Dr. Binagwaho, discussed how her country achieved an 80% reduction of preventable deaths. She explained that a strong financial investment in health, with the help of the private sector and coordination of partnerships around the agenda was key to facing the challenge of a gap in universal access to health in Rwanda. The process involved education the population and dispatching skilled community workers to all parts of the country. She highlighted that these workers were elected by their own communities in order to preserve trust and solidarity within the system..
Dr. Kruk of Columbia University described the Global Health 2035 report as a product of academic and independent analysis of the divergent effect that health conditions have taken globally and the need for successful convergence as a number of countries such as Chile, China, Cuba and Costa Rica have illustrated. Fiscal policies can curb Non-communicable diseases and injuries and leverage significant new revenue for low and middle-income countries.
She further stated that the 2035 convergence goals are encapsulated into the“16-8-4” convergence goal, which consists of the reduction of under-5 mortality to 16 per 1000 live-births, reducing annual AIDS deaths to 8 per 100,000 population and reducing annual tuberculosis deaths to 4 per 100,000 population.
Dr. Yamey of the Global Health Group stated that the UN is a tool which can facilitate country-level expenditure and impact necessary for 2035 such as structural investments in low income nations and investment on convergence in lower-middle income nations. He insisted that the economic benefits will exceed the costs of investment. Moving onto global health convergence as part of the post-2015 framework, Yamey stated that it would consist of a single, simple, overarching goal which encapsulates multiple conditions involving a progressive and pro-poor UHC, monitored with feasible targets.
In her concluding remarks, Dr. Binagwaho debunked the myth that poor countries cannot contribute to its health and introduced the pro-poor system that Rwanda utilized to ensure the poorest in rural areas benefit first and foremost. In concluding her statement, the minister placed importance on equality, science, participation and good governance in Rwanda’s success so far
Leave a Reply