A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and World Bank Group shows that since 2000, most countries have made progress in expanding health service coverage and reducing the financial hardship associated with health costs.
However, the poorest populations continue to bear the greatest burden of unaffordable health costs, and an estimated 4.6 billion people still lack access to essential health care services.
At the Doha Forum, in Qatar, an annual meeting of global policy leaders, CNN spoke to Dr. Hanan Balkhy, WHO’s regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean region, where conflict and economic instability pose major health care challenges.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
CNN: What are the most urgent gaps you see in building resilient health care systems across the Middle East?
Hanan Balkhy: The Eastern Mediterranean region hosts 750 million people, including 42% of the globally displaced population and a large number of migrants. There are also a significant number of countries that are under sanctions or are in considerable economic fragility or conflict.
It’s been very difficult for us to bring these countries back from what Covid-19 has imposed on them economically and on the health sector.
But the sector in the region also suffers other issues, like the migration of the health workforce, lack of easy access to health care, and the stockout of very critical medications and blood products. We also have problems dealing with things like gender-based violence and mental health issues.
So, the health sector is already fragile. Covid-19 put more stress on this health sector and also the sanctions, the conflicts, the wars, the displacement, makes it a very challenging region to work for.
CNN: What does the WHO’s role look like in today’s political climate on a regional and global scale?
Balkhy: The WHO is seen as the center of global health when it comes to setting standards, guidelines, and harmonizing the way we practice medicine for the best of people. It ensures that the minimum that is needed for all populations is provided, and that no one is left behind. The WHO will continue to play that role.
We have a membership of 194 member states. We work with them side by side, and hand-in-hand with governments and nongovernmental organizations. Our role is to keep the negotiations and discussions alive so we can always find ways to reach the people in need.
Also, we have a big role to play in ensuring that diseases don’t spread, by identifying outbreaks, notifying on them, and preparing countries to respond. We also help member states eliminate diseases. The last two countries that have not eradicated polio yet are in my region — Pakistan and Afghanistan. We’re working very hard towards that goal, with partners like the Gates Foundation, Rotary International, and other UN agencies.
CNN: What does fair and equal access to medical treatment look like in the Middle East?
Balkhy: The problem with access is very complex because it means making medical products safe and affordable to people but also ensuring that people can get to health care facilities, and that those facilities are equipped with capable health care providers who have the right tools.
The burden of lack of access is large in the Eastern Mediterranean region, because of the large numbers of displaced populations, the large number of countries that are under sanctions or economic fragility, and also the large number of migrants.
So, what we’re trying to do now is make sure that the region can be self-sufficient from country to country. We’re ensuring that governments have capable regulatory authorities, and that they are able to be in dialogue with each other and discuss how they create a strategy for drug and medical equipment production.
CNN: What is one public health issue you believe the world is not paying enough attention to?
Balkhy: I hope that the world will really come together more robustly on issues of health in general. As someone who has served in health for 25 years, I feel that the whole agenda of public health has not taken up enough consistent space. It’s usually only in response to a major disaster, like the Covid pandemic.
But if we think about health as an investment for a healthier lifestyle, and for more productive communities that can support the economy, I think prioritizing the public health agenda can really serve member states in their ability to thrive and be self-sufficient.
