Transcript public health in a flat world

PUBLIC HEALTH IN A
FLAT WORLD
A Singaporean’s Perspective
THOMAS FRIEDMAN
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Pulitzer Prize
winner
Bestseller released
in 2005
Focus on trade and
commerce
Opportunities and
challenges of
GLOBALIZATION
GLOBALIZATION
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Not just a geopolitical policy
It is a phenomenon
Confluence of new technologies
“…it presents 2 contradictory faces – new technologies,
greater wealth and rising living standards for millions of
people; and at the same time, new instabilities, new risks,
new uncertainties…”
Renato Ruggiero (1998)
Former DG, WTO
DG, WHO
Dr Margaret Chan
Singapore 2007
“Globalization has helped spread a costly epidemic
of chronic diseases to the developing world.
Consumer behaviors the world over are being
shaped by global forces of production, trade,
marketing and distribution. In the developing
world, a strong national asset – the healthy diet
and physical activity associated with rural
farming – is being lost.”
The MASS Effect
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Mass travel
Mass production
Mass
communications
Mass transfer of
risks, including
harmful lifestyles
GLOBAL HEALTH
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The original idea of International
Health – flow of information and
resources from developed to
developing countries
Global Health emphasizes the
interdependence of countries and
organizations on universal concerns
What we need…..
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A new vision
A research
intensive culture
An innovative
healthcare delivery
strategy
A “global public
policy”
The cost of a PANDEMIC
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World Bank estimates loss of $800bn
worldwide, and greatest cause will
arise from uncoordinated efforts to
avoid infection (2005)
“It is also an issue of self-interest; can the world
afford to leave vast populations vulnerable to the
high morbidity and mortality that inevitably
accompany pandemics?
Is it not in our collective best interest to strive for
more equitable protection?”
DG WHO (2007)
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Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger*
Achieve universal primary education
Promote gender equality & empower women
Reduce child mortality*
Improve maternal health*
Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and others*
Ensure environmental sustainability*
Develop global partnership for development*
* Health-related as identified by WHO
An assessment by the DG, WHO (2008):
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“For many priority diseases, trends such as
globalization and urbanization have introduced a
commonality to health problems seen in every
part of the world.
Among the health-related MDGs, there appears
to be difficulty in reducing maternal mortality.
The causes are broad and closely linked to social
and economic factors. There is no single pill,
bednet or vaccine that can guarantee results.
Clearly, the problem of weak health systems
includes the shortage of human resources as well
as issues of infrastructure and financing.”
Contributions of PH Professionals
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Handling the Information Explosion
“The world of 2020 will be a global
knowledge village of 8 bn people…”
Using the skills of health, information
and risk assessment as well as
communications – to guide public
action
Contributions of PH Professionals
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Creating New Knowledge
Promoting Evidence-based
Healthcare
Developing competence in
population-based research, using the
latest biomedical tools with rigorous
study designs
What do we do in such times
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“..it is a
bottomless
pit of panic
and despair.”
We will have
to do more
with less –
evidence-based
cost-effective
health care.
Public Health in Asia
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We have issues in public housing,
environmental sanitation, infectious
disease control, health promotion,
innovations in healthcare & financing
Combining local experience with an
international perspective
“…the health and well-being of people around the
world depend critically on the performance of the
health systems that serve them.”
Our role in capacity-building
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Training is key
New areas of concern: obesity,
bioterrorism, flu-pandemic
Plugging the “gaps” in management
Developing core skills in PH
Making a significant contribution by equipping
and encouraging a professional worker with a
broad understanding of health issues and the
skills to deal with disease prevention, health
promotion and the delivery of health services
CONCLUSION
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THINK BIG:
Challenge of a borderless world
ACT SMART:
Show competence in a focused
manner
Our future in a flat world