Six Global Health Issues to Watch For

By Alysha Jones

Over the past three years, there has been a shock in health and the global health system. Causing issues to arise from the pandemic halting any type of progress on many levels.  As we are now starting to turn the page on the past, and begin to rebuild health systems in a post-pandemic world, many people might be wondering what will be at the top of the global health agenda? Where should we as a global community be refocusing our efforts? Or even, what lost progress must be regained, and what are the greatest threats to come and change?

Here are six global health issues to follow:

1.     Impact of climate change

Climate change is already affecting the health of millions of people all over the world, and more importantly, climate change will worsen throughout this century (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation [IHME], 2023). People are experiencing both the direct effects of extreme heat that we measure in the GBD and a myriad of indirect effects (IHME, 2023). Flooding can force people from their homes and affect their mental health, droughts and storms can impact food security and water availability, and wildfire smoke episodes can increase air pollution (IHME, 2023). Preparedness is very key, and in order to survive through the climate change, we must all prepare for the health impacts that will occur. Climate change is with us, and we need more attention on minimizing the impacts of global health through adaptation. One aspect of this is improving overall health and enhancing socioeconomic development because we know that those who are more vulnerable will suffer the most (IHME, 2023). In addition, there are technological solutions that can support adaptation, such as the use of drought-resistant crops, increasing vegetation in cities to reduce the urban heat island effect, or repurposing land use to adapt to rising sea levels (IHME, 2023).

2.     Lower respiratory infections

Lower respiratory infections (LRI), especially respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza, are health issues to watch in 2023 (IHME, 2023). We saw a general decline in influenza and RSV infections in 2020 due to COVID-19 mitigation measures such as mask use and social distancing (IHME, 2023). With the relaxation of these measures, many young children who haven’t been exposed to RSV in the past couple of years are being infected, resulting in RSV outbreaks (IHME, 2023). Countries have also experienced a surge in influenza across all ages (IHME,2023).  Migration measures should be implemented again to keep the decline down.

3.     Poverty’s role in health

It seems that poverty is the mother of inequality in health (IHME, 2023). The unequal distribution of resources has expanded due to climate change and increasing violence (IHME, 2023). Low- and middle-income countries experience worse health outcomes than high-income countries: the life expectancy is 34 years lower, the under-5 mortality around 100 times higher, deaths due to interpersonal violence and suicide are 30 times higher, and deaths attributable to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are 12 times higher (IHME, 2023). In order to decrease poverty’s role on health, we must essentially address the interplay it has on health, life, and death.

4.     Dementia

Anticipated trends in population growth and population aging are expected to lead to large increases in the number of people affected by dementia globally, underscoring the public health importance of dementia (IHME, 2023). To adequately care for those with dementia, appropriate planning for the necessary supports and services required is needed (IHME, 2023). There also needs to be interventions that will target modifiable risk factors, such as smoking, high blood sugar, and low education, that will reduce the overall societal burden.

5.     Delivering record levels of humanitarian needs driven by conflict and disaster

Global forced displacement totaled 103 million people in mid-2022, an increase from 89.3 million at the end of 2021 (Roberts, N., 2022).  According to the most recent Global Humanitarian Overview, in 2021 roughly 274 million people worldwide were in dire need of humanitarian assistance — already a 17% rise from the previous year (Roberts, N., 2022). For 2023, that number is leaping yet again, bringing the number of people in need to 339 million, more than the population of the United States (Roberts, N., 2022). This means 1 in every 23 people on the planet will need emergency assistance just to survive (Roberts, N., 2022). This dramatic rise represents millions of women, men, and children who have been pushed to the brink and already-vulnerable communities that find their very survival at risk. (Roberts, N., 2022).  In 2023, it is essential that the global community and our multilateral system learn from the lessons experienced in 2022.

6.     Improving global health security and pandemic preparedness

2022 showed us how a disease like Mpox in Western countries and Ebola in Uganda can quickly spread globally, causing major disruption as the world was busy responding to COVID-19 (Borse, N., 2023). Various epidemics of vaccine-preventable diseases in 2022 show that there is still critical work that must be done to prevent avoidable outbreaks, improve early detection, and respond rapidly and effectively to meet global health security goals and prevent future pandemics (Borse, N., 2023). Project HOPE is working within some of world’s most vulnerable and marginalized communities to improve global health security and build health systems that are strong, resilient, and prepared to tackle public health threats (Borse, N., 2023).  Project HOPE is doing that in a variety of ways. One way is by helping countries improve real-time surveillance and reporting. Another way is by creating eLearning platforms and curriculums to enable health workers so they acquire the information and updates they will need, in order to respond effectively and quickly.

 References

Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. (2023) 11 global health issues to watch in 2023,

according to IHME experts. Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. https://www.healthdata.org/acting-data/11-global-health-issues-watch-2023-according-ihme-experts

Borse, N. (2023, January 20). Key global health trends to watch in 2023. Project Hope.

https://www.projecthope.org/critical-health-trends-were-watching-in-2023/01/2023/

Roberts, M. (2022, December 20). 5 global issues to watch in 2023. United Nations Foundation.

 https://unfoundation.org/blog/post/5-global-issues-to-watch-in-2023/