In all nine World Tuberculosis (TB) Day advocacy campaigns I have participated in, advocacy groups have shared the same dark figures and told the same devastating stories leading to TB becoming the world’s leading infectious disease killer for the past three years. Every year, the number of people who got sick grew and the death toll rose. No one seemed to pay too much attention—until now.
What does it mean to achieve universal health coverage (UHC)? It means resilient, equitable health systems with robust financing structures. It means people need to pay out-of-pocket for fewer health services, so the poorest are able to access more of the services they need, and even the wealthy, who may experience financial hardship in the event of severe or long-term illness, also no longer have that worry.
Following successful pledging at the Rotary International Convention in June and ever diminishing cases of the disease worldwide, World Polio Day 2017, October 24, marked the remarkable progress the world has made since the establishment of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988, when more than 350,000 people suffered from the disease.
Although good health is the foundation for individuals, communities, and countries to thrive, a 2015 study by the World Health Organization and the World Bank estimated that 400 million people worldwide lack access to at least one of seven essential health services, ranging from pregnancy care to clean water. Despite much progress under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), from 2000 to 2015, much more needs to be done to give all people equal access to health. ACTION’s policy paper, Progress in Peril? The Changing Landscape of Global Health Financing examines the global health landscape in the face of imminent shifts in where and how global health funding is available to support low- and middle-income countries.
ACTION’s new Polio Accountability Tool tells the unique history of polio eradication and tracks the government dollars that make eradication a likelihood. Use this tool to track your government’s participation in this effort and help ensure that future generations are completely free from polio.
Every year, up to three million children’s lives are saved because of vaccines. Diseases such as tetanus and diphtheria, previously major killers of children are on the decline because of increased access to immunization for children all over the globe. The efforts made to date to roll out immunization services to children around the world are laudable. But, progress doesn’t equal a job completed. We need to push harder and further to reach those children that have been left behind. Everyone has a role to play in ensuring that children don’t die from vaccine-preventable diseases.
By Ari Probandari, MD | World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, observed March 24 each year, calls attention to the disease as one of the world’s oldest and deadliest. The date commemorates the 1882 announcement by Dr. Robert Koch that he had discovered the cause of the highly infectious disease: the tubercle bacillus. Under the theme, “Unite to End TB,” advocacy groups are intensifying efforts to reach the World Health Organization’s (WHO) goal to eliminate the disease by 2030.
By Enrique Delgado | The impact of tuberculosis (TB) on people and communities worldwide is obvious in frightening statistics, revealing that close to two million people die each year from a disease that is preventable and treatable. Those numbers don’t tell the full story, however.