The need to strengthen the health systems of countries across the world has been described as one of the best ways to prevent the outbreak of Ebola and other diseases.
The Director General of the World Health Organisation, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, made the remark on Monday at the opening of the 71 World Assembly of WHO.
In his address, he noted that although the spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, (DRC) to an urban city was a concern to WHO, it had agreed that it had not reached a global emergency status as the problem was being tackled by WHO and the government of DRC.
He said that preventive high risk population targetted vaccination had commenced in DRC and that had made the situation better than the 2014 Ebola outbreak.
He promised that WHO would not settle for a world where the people would have to choose between health and poverty as a result of out of pocket expenses on healthcare.
He said Universal Health Coverage, UHC, was the only way by which governments could address the health needs of their citizens.
He identified three keys to success in providing healthcare to the people as, first, a stronger WHO, which is more efficient and effective in its operations, with a strong leadership team.
He noted that WHO needed more funds and thereby called on state actors to support with high quality and flexible funds, with a promise that there would be value for such monies spent.
He said WHO would focus on the real and pressing needs of the people.
According to him, the second key was political commitment.
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He said: “We are in a time of unprecedented political will” as most heads of government he had spoken with had affirmed their belief in Universal Health Coverage.
He however called on governments to allow the nationals identify the Primary Health Care services needed and not to be determined and handed over to them by someone else.
Thirdly, he identified partnership as the third key to success in achieving its mandate.
He said there were many actors on the global health with needed resources, skills and ideas.
These actors include Civil Society Organisations, CSO, Non Governmental Organisations, NGOs and the Private Sector.
He said WHO would strengthen partnership with all these actors to achieve their common goal of providing healthcare to all.
