Why in news?
Soumya Swaminathan, an Indian Clinical Scientist, has recently been appointed the Deputy Director-General for Programmes at the WHO.
What is the significance?
- She has turned out to be the first Indian to be elevated to the post.
- More importantly, it gives representation to India in the WHO, the highest decision-making body in public health.
- It also signifies the growing importance of India in global health diplomacy.
- The Indian representation and the DG being from Ethiopia together is seen to give a place for developing countries in WHO.
What should be done to improve Public Health Care?
- People's participation - Involving community and civil society for ensuring public health gains is important.
- e.g Dengue, where eliminating breeding sources of mosquitoes was essential beyond the government's efforts.
- Innovations - It is essential to bring various innovations that are happening mostly in the private sector into public health.
- Beyond a new drug or a vaccine, the innovations in devices, diagnostics, sensors, and drug delivery systems can also aid in public health delivery.
- Intellectual property - There should be balance between the needs and demands of intellectual property protection as against access and equity in health.
- WHO should invoke its pivotal role in this regard.
- There have been successes like the Medicines Patent Pool, but a lot more needs to be done.
- Emerging epidemics – There is a rising concern with vector-borne diseases like chikungunya, zika, dengue, etc.
- The potential of science and public health management in addressing the rise of ever-adapting vectors should be exploited.
- India - More attention should be diverted to the lesser known tropical diseases like kala-azar, filariasis, measles, etc.
- Snake bite causes an estimated 50,000 deaths in India.
- There is a need for regulations on snake venom manufacturing to ensure access to the right venom at the right time.
- Also, soil-transmitted helminths, or intestinal worms, have an impact on morbidity-causing anaemia and nutritional deficiencies.
- Government should consider expanding the deworming programmes to the entire population and not just to children.
- Role of WHO - Not all agreements under WHO are binding; but countries that take them seriously and implement are seeing good results.
- E.g. Successes in tobacco control, HIV treatment, etc.
- So on similar lines followings regulations should be implemented
- labelling of food for high salt, sugar, and fat content.
- higher taxes on these products.
- package labelling to indicate whether it is a healthy choice or not.
- micronutrient fortification.
Quick Fact
Medicines Patent Pool (MPP)
- MPP is a United Nations backed organisation founded in 2010, and based in Geneva.
- It offers a public health-driven business model that aims to lower the prices of HIV, tuberculosis and hepatitis C medicines.
- It also facilitates the development of better treatments through voluntary licensing and patent pooling.
Source: The Hindu
