WHO: 13 serious issues to be addressed in coming years

There are many serious health problems in the world today, and some of them need to be addressed within the next decade, World Health Organization (WHO) reported.

They published a list of 13 pressing issues that require collaboration between the health sector, governments, communities and international organizations. None of these problems is higher than the others - all of them, according to experts, are interconnected and should be resolved as soon as possible.

Health threats due to climate change

Air pollution kills about 7 million people in the world every year. Climate change is linked to a range of issues such as malnutrition and the spread of infectious diseases. According to experts, if the level of emissions into the environment remains at the same level, the number of deaths from heart attack, stroke, lung cancer and chronic respiratory diseases will increase by a quarter.

People's health in conflic zones

In 2019, 978 cases of attacks on medical personnel in 11 countries were recorded, resulting in 193 deaths. At the same time, as a result of military conflicts, tens of millions of people are left without a home and access to medical care, which also poses a serious problem.

Inequality in health care

Various socio-economic factors, including income levels, affect people's access to health services. The difference in life expectancy between people from rich and poor countries is 18 years. WHO experts argue that all countries should additionally allocate 1% of their GDP to primary health care.

Access to drugs

According to the WHO, every third person has no access to necessary medical services and goods, and this is a serious global problem.

Infectious diseases

HIV, tuberculosis, viral hepatitis, malaria and other infectious diseases still pose a threat to humanity: in 2020, these diseases will kill about 4 million people worldwide.

 Epidemic preparedness

According to WHO experts, countries need to pay more attention and resources to the prevention of disease outbreaks and other health emergencies.

Eating problems

Lack of food products, their insecurity, unhealthy diet - all this leads to disease. On the one hand, there is the problem of hunger and food insecurity, and on the other, the problem of obesity.

Investing in healthcare workers

A chronic lack of investment in the training and employment of doctors and other medical professionals is often combined with wages. By 2030, there will be lack of 18 million health workers in low- and middle-income countries.

Adolescent safety

Over 1 million adolescents die each year from road injuries, HIV infection, suicide, lower respiratory tract infections and violence. In 2020, WHO will release new guidelines for addressing adolescent issues for policy makers, health practitioners and educators, as well as for adolescents themselves.

Trust in healthcare

The anti-vaccination movement, the uncontrolled spread of misinformation on social networks and the undermining of trust in government institutions lead to a decrease in trust in medicine. And this can lead to a number of serious problems.

The introduction of new technologies

The introduction of new technologies, as well as the support and regulation of their development and use, also play an important role in the development of healthcare.

Antibiotic resistance

Resistance to antibiotics is another serious problem that, if nothing is done, can offset all the recent successes that have been achieved in medicine.

Improving sanitation in medical facilities

About one in four medical facilities in the world has no water supply, and this is a problem that needs to be addressed.

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