Let’s learn from Covid-19 to fast track SDG No.3
A medic administers Covid-19 vaccine at KMPDC headquarters in Nairobi on March 31, 2021.
What you need to know:
- We are learning more about Covid-19 and the response day by day.
- Learning and adapting are central to the success and agility of health systems.
The Covid-19 crisis has damaged economies, weakened health systems, and left progress towards all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adrift, including No.3, on health. It has hit the poor and most vulnerable the hardest.
Leaders at the national and county levels found themselves in hugely challenging situations, under-prepared, under-resourced, and have had the responsibility to move fast based on developing and uncertain information.
We are learning more about Covid-19 and the response day by day. Learning and adapting are central to the success and agility of health systems.
One of the main lessons from the Covid-19 response is that human rights-based approaches and community engagement must be at the centre of a pandemic response and any other health intervention, just as the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1978 on primary healthcare underpins.
Overly restrictive responses, especially those that do not take the lived realities into account, can prove to be counterproductive and undermine trust rather than support compliance.
Strong political leadership
Covid-19 has also taught us that building a fairer and healthier society requires strong political leadership that is bold, consistent, inclusive and driven by science.
In Kenya, willingness to allocate sufficient financial resources is an important test of health leadership at all levels.
“National and County Health Budget Analysis Fiscal Year 2018/19” shows the proportion of the combined discretionary public budget allocated to health as 9.2 per cent, falling far below the 2001 Abuja declaration target of 15 per cent.
Noting the gap of vaccine distribution with other regions, Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame told the Africa vaccine manufacturing virtual conference that “Africa must move from feeling sorry of ourselves to something we can do”.
The virus is an opportunity to reimagine our health systems and make them fairer and healthier for everyone.
Mr Fatinato is a project assistant at The Centre for the Study of Adolescence. @DollarmanKE
