Monday, 04 February 2008
Written by Margaret Chan
Business Daily Africa
Around a decade ago, observers of the malaria situation had one main observation. It is stable, they said. It could hardly get any worse. Today, I believe we are seeing a wind of change that could turn this disease around, and possibly very quickly.
February 5, 2008: Around a decade ago, observers of the malaria situation had one main observation. It is stable, they said. It could hardly get any worse. Today, I believe we are seeing a wind of change that could turn this disease around, and possibly very quickly.
There are solid reasons for optimism. We have some big new sources of support, some true innovations.
As I have seen, commitment to humanitarian goals can unleash the very best of human ingenuity.
Last year also saw the launch of UNITAID, a drug purchasing facility which draws funds from a tax on airline tickets. This is truly a sustainable source of new funds on a substantial scale. It represents a deliberate effort to channel some of the wealth of globalisation towards health needs in the developing world. The first supplies of quality-assured drugs for HIV/AIDS and malaria have already been delivered.
This then gives some indication of the level of international commitment and determination. Not all the news is good. With so much working in our favour, we can see what is holding us back.
We have commitment, money, powerful interventions, and proven strategies for implementation. Here is the problem. The power of these interventions is not matched by the power of health systems to deliver them to those in greatest need on an adequate scale and in time.
We have other big problems. All around the world, health is being shaped by the same powerful forces of globalisation. Urbanisation is a global trend, with rates growing fastest in the developing world. Demographic and epidemiological transitions are global trends, now joined by behavioural and nutritional transitions.
Industrialisation of food production, globalisation of the food supply and its distribution and marketing channels mean that all of us are increasingly eating similar unhealthy diets. With the massive move to cities, lifestyles are increasingly sedentary. Obesity has gone global. Chronic diseases, long considered the companions of affluent societies, have changed places.
Here is an example. In Cambodia, a least developed country, one in 10 adults now has diabetes and one in four adults has hypertension. The rise of chronic diseases and the demands of chronic care are placing an almost unbearable strain on health systems.
Two conclusions are obvious. If we want better health to work as a poverty reduction strategy, we must reach the poor. If we want health to reduce poverty, we cannot let the costs of health care drive impoverished households even deeper into poverty.
Dr Chan is the Director General, World Health Organisation.
February 5, 2008: Around a decade ago, observers of the malaria situation had one main observation. It is stable, they said. It could hardly get any worse. Today, I believe we are seeing a wind of change that could turn this disease around, and possibly very quickly.
There are solid reasons for optimism. We have some big new sources of support, some true innovations.
As I have seen, commitment to humanitarian goals can unleash the very best of human ingenuity.
Last year also saw the launch of UNITAID, a drug purchasing facility which draws funds from a tax on airline tickets. This is truly a sustainable source of new funds on a substantial scale. It represents a deliberate effort to channel some of the wealth of globalisation towards health needs in the developing world. The first supplies of quality-assured drugs for HIV/AIDS and malaria have already been delivered.
This then gives some indication of the level of international commitment and determination. Not all the news is good. With so much working in our favour, we can see what is holding us back.
We have commitment, money, powerful interventions, and proven strategies for implementation. Here is the problem. The power of these interventions is not matched by the power of health systems to deliver them to those in greatest need on an adequate scale and in time.
We have other big problems. All around the world, health is being shaped by the same powerful forces of globalisation. Urbanisation is a global trend, with rates growing fastest in the developing world. Demographic and epidemiological transitions are global trends, now joined by behavioural and nutritional transitions.
Industrialisation of food production, globalisation of the food supply and its distribution and marketing channels mean that all of us are increasingly eating similar unhealthy diets. With the massive move to cities, lifestyles are increasingly sedentary. Obesity has gone global. Chronic diseases, long considered the companions of affluent societies, have changed places.
Here is an example. In Cambodia, a least developed country, one in 10 adults now has diabetes and one in four adults has hypertension. The rise of chronic diseases and the demands of chronic care are placing an almost unbearable strain on health systems.
Two conclusions are obvious. If we want better health to work as a poverty reduction strategy, we must reach the poor. If we want health to reduce poverty, we cannot let the costs of health care drive impoverished households even deeper into poverty.
Dr Chan is the Director General, World Health Organisation.
3 comments:
Cambodian people, take good care of yourself. Eat less salty food, fat; drink lots of fluids (water), get help to stop smoking and drink too much. Eat lots and lots of fruits and vegetables. Meditate more, it helps to relax and destress. Exercise more. Enjoy life, we only live once. God Bless everyone.
Any fruit contain high sweet is not going to be not good for your diabetic. Sweet exchange for "carbohydrate turned to glucose", which body use for engergy. Any high concentration of carbohydrate and sweet even come from fruit oftenly contribute to daibetic. Watch out for PRAHOK and salt fish are Cambodian most favor food. That can be led to high blood pressure.
Wine and beer are sources of carbohydrate. 9 calorie per gram. One 12 ounce of beer can give over 560 calorie. Imagine a person sitting at a night club having just three 12 oz beer.
Well you can say "live to eat or eat to live". Cambodian had suffered starvation for many years. Is it time to shower with plenty.
OR
We are going to die anyway why we eat to fulfill our guts.
YOU HAVE RIGHT TO CHOOSE.
We are what we eat!
Diabetic and hypertension can be controlled if strictly stick to diet recommendation [what is good and bad for sufferers], stay active [gentle exercise], change of life-style to suit individual circumstances.
Please do it now before it too late - insulin independent or table to control hypertension.
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