PHA-Exchange> Dr J.W.Lee opens consultation on Macroeconomics and Health

[Aviva]

From: "N. Upham" <tbc at thebellsconsultants.net>

PRESS RELEASE OCTOBER 29th, 2003


This morning the WHO’s Second Consultation on Macroeconomics and Health
opened with a speech by the Director General J.W Lee who addressed
high-level representatives from 40 countries, including Ministers of
Health, Planning and Finance brought together at WHO headquarters.
There
was subsequently a press conference with Dr. Lee, the Botswana Finance
and Development Planning Minister Baledzi Gaolathe, and the Pakistani
Health Minister K.N. Khan.

During the opening speech, J.W. Lee congratulated the conference
organizers for the ‘creative initiative’ to put together economists and
health professionals. He proposed collaboration between the WHO’s
initiative to put three million people with HIV under antiretroviral
treatment by 2005 (‘3 by 5’) and the country-based Commissions on
Macroeconomics and Health: «the emergency WHO ‘3 by 5’ teams should be
supported by local CMH teams and work jointly to implement the
principle
of health for all people. (…) The ‘3 by 5’ effort is designed to bring
care to those in the most urgent need of it and in so doing reverse one
of the most DANGEROUS trends in the world at present.»

As presented, ‘3 by 5’, the lead program of the WHO today, will
introduce major changes in the way WHO looks at health.
«Being realistic about resource needs» said Dr Lee, means realizing
that
«Human and financial resources are the pillars of any health system.
Lack of them is the main obstacle to progress. Health care budgets
remain inadequate in most developing countries, and the financial
burden
of the poor is unacceptable.»
He gave the example of Stop TB Partnership that published a report
showing that 17 out of the 22 high-TB burden countries could not reach
their targets because of staffing problems.
Restoring functioning State backed public health is the lead item on
the
WHO agenda today. Therefore WHO today is looking at three issues:
- The effect of macroeconomic agencies and decisions on human resources
«The WHO 3 by 5 team discovered that 4000 nurses were currently
unemployed due to macroeconomic policies that have restricted the
recruitment of health workers into the public sector,” said Dr Lee
- The brain drain
“A recent meeting of EMRO initiated a serious discussion on the effect
of the General Agreement on Trade and Services (GATS) on the brain
drain
of health professionals”, said the Pakistani Health Minister, Dr. K.N.
Khan.
- The balance between public and private health
«The SARS epidemic has shown how important it is to invest in public
health,» stated Dr. Lee during the press conference. «The private
sector
has a role to play but public health is essential. Faced with SARS,
China has put millions into strengthening public health (…)
 All this is essential because at the pace we are moving today, it will
take 150 years to reduce child mortality by 2/3 in Africa, as stated in
the MDGs. In Africa, we have 4 million in need of ARV, but only 50 000
have access. For WHO today, 3 by 5 means building health for the next
generation.»

During the press conference, the Minister of Finance of Botswana
stated:

«We are here because we realize that there is a lot to be done globally
for the health. The African continent is very much affected by serious
diseases, by HIV, TB, Malaria and diseases. We are not sufficiently
interested in health and it will be impossible to achieve MDGs without
that.
This meeting is important as African countries will be sharing views
and
experiences. There are many aspects to be considered, such as
mobilizing
national resources.
In Botswana, we have always had national development plans that
included
health. Primary healthcare is a priority. Today every person is within
15 kms of a primary healthcare center and receives free treatment.
Healthcare centers monitor the nutritional status of children under 6
and provide dietary supplements and primary schools provide children
with one free meal a day. We are starting to provide free ARV.”

«It is tremendous opportunity having finance and health ministers
together,» said
Dr. N.K Khan, the Minister of Health of Pakistan, introduced at the
press conference as an economist.
«There are two ways to provide healthcare, one is through private
insurance, the other, as in Pakistan and many developing countries, is
through the State. The USA is the best known example of a private
insurance system; 25% of US citizens have full coverage, 35% defective
coverage (e.g. not covering particular conditions such as kidney or
heart operations) and 40% no coverage at all.
I was in Bangladesh ten days ago, and saw the «poorest of the poor», as
we can also see in Africa, South East Asia, and Latin America. We have
to focus on these.

Nothing works in the world unless there is peace and stability, when
the
infrastructure is destroyed how can anything work? The 87 billion
dollars spent in Iraq, could have been spent in Africa. Why destroy in
the first place? We should spend resources on the real enemies of
mankind, disease, poverty and ignorance."