Public Health
Poor public health serves as a major drag on developing world economic performance. Too often disease kills or severely weakens many of the most able-bodied members of society. The scourges of AIDS, malaria, TB and other diseases are first and foremost human tragedies. But they have equally devastating spillover effects, by making robust economic growth difficult.
A few decades ago, one could claim that the problem with fixing public health was a lack of resources. But that claim is no longer tenable. Over the past twenty years, there has been a surge of private and public funds available to tackle health challenges. And yet health does not improve. If is not resources, what explains the perpetual public health problems in the developing world.
Developing world countries currently lack the systems and infrastructure necessary to tackle major public health problems. Moreover, the smartest and most capable doctors and nurses often leave their home countries for better opportunities abroad, further diminishing treatment capacity. Given this backdrop, no amount of aid can make a serious dent in the public health problem.
Worse, failed aid efforts frequently yield donor fatigue. Donors who send billions of dollars to developing nations and see no results are less likely to give in the future.
That’s why it is imperative that aid agencies, NGOs, donor nations and multilateral organizations re-think how global public health problems are confronted.
A strategy to improve public health must include efforts to improve economic performance. This requires changing the incentive structure in countries in order to move away from rewarding corrupt or unproductive economic activity. It requires government transparency and accountability. It requires adhering to global trade rules to encourage investment, capital formation and the importation of technological know-how and capacity.
World Growth advocates a holistic approach to tackling public health challenges. It requires the full participation of the private sector, and as such private sector participants should be viewed as partners and not adversaries in global public health campaigns. And it requires new, thoughtful leadership from the public sector. Only then can the human tragedies.
A few decades ago, one could claim that the problem with fixing public health was a lack of resources. But that claim is no longer tenable. Over the past twenty years, there has been a surge of private and public funds available to tackle health challenges. And yet health does not improve. If is not resources, what explains the perpetual public health problems in the developing world.
Developing world countries currently lack the systems and infrastructure necessary to tackle major public health problems. Moreover, the smartest and most capable doctors and nurses often leave their home countries for better opportunities abroad, further diminishing treatment capacity. Given this backdrop, no amount of aid can make a serious dent in the public health problem.
Worse, failed aid efforts frequently yield donor fatigue. Donors who send billions of dollars to developing nations and see no results are less likely to give in the future.
That’s why it is imperative that aid agencies, NGOs, donor nations and multilateral organizations re-think how global public health problems are confronted.
A strategy to improve public health must include efforts to improve economic performance. This requires changing the incentive structure in countries in order to move away from rewarding corrupt or unproductive economic activity. It requires government transparency and accountability. It requires adhering to global trade rules to encourage investment, capital formation and the importation of technological know-how and capacity.
World Growth advocates a holistic approach to tackling public health challenges. It requires the full participation of the private sector, and as such private sector participants should be viewed as partners and not adversaries in global public health campaigns. And it requires new, thoughtful leadership from the public sector. Only then can the human tragedies.