The future of health depends on how well it is powered by science, research and partnerships, said World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. At a time when science is under sustained attack every day, he urged countries to protect the public from such mis- and disinformation.

Dr Tedros’s statement comes ahead of the UN health agency marking its 75th anniversary on April 7, a milestone against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic (now in its fourth year) and the Russia-Ukraine war, among other crises. The last few years have seen information campaigns become almost all-pervading, especially during the pandemic, involving vaccines and the data around its research, for instance.

Over the past five years, WHO has invested in science and digital health, creating a science division led by the organisation’s first Chief Scientist, he said. Dr Soumya Swaminathan was WHO’s first Chief Scientist and a regular voice at the organisation’s routine media briefings. She resigned from the post late last year. 

Touching on some of the milestones in the last seven and a half decades, Dr Tedros pointed to smallpox eradication, cutting the incidence of polio by 99 per cent, saving of millions of lives through childhood immunisation, and decline in maternal mortality, among other things.

“The history of WHO demonstrates what is possible when nations come together for a common purpose,” said Dr Tedros. However, he added, “We continue to face vast inequities in access to health services, major gaps in the world’s defences against health emergencies, and threats from health harming products and the climate crisis.”

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Shortage of health workers

The WHO chief urged countries to protect, support and expand its health workforce as a strategic priority to meet the challenges in the health sector. “Investments in education, skills and decent jobs for health need to be prioritised to meet the rapidly growing demand for health and avert a projected shortage of 10 million health workers by 2030; primarily in low- and middle-income countries.” 

The WHO also recently announced a global education programme on basic emergency care targeting 25 per cent of nurses and midwives from 25 low- and middle-income countries by the end of 2025, he said.

The global milestone comes even as India witnessed public health successes over the years, including tackling polio, overall childhood immunisation, and administration of over 220 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses. But challenges remain in tackling communicable and non-communicable diseases, maintaining the quality of medical products made in India, and in ensuring the right to health, as seen in the recent government-doctor standoff in Rajasthan.

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