By Henry B. Perry, The Hill, April 5, 2021
As we all work together to overcome the current global COVID-19 pandemic and be better prepared for future ones, it is important to embrace the opportunity afforded by this crisis to “build back better,” as President Biden says, — not only for global health security but also for accelerating health improvements and socio-economic development for the poorest of the poor around the world.
Now is the time for the United States to provide financial and technical leadership in reducing the “evidence-practice” gap in expanding the coverage of the broad range of low-cost basic and essential preventive and curative interventions that communities and community health workers (CHWs) in low-income countries can provide. A conservative estimate is that CHW programs provide a 10-to-1 return on investment — including the benefits they can provide by early detection of disease outbreaks and control of future pandemics. And the return on investment is not only in economic terms, but also in equity terms. The poorest of the poor are the ones who will receive the greatest health benefits from such programs. And by providing women from poor families a living wage as a CHW, the benefits in terms of empowerment and reduced gender inequity will be substantial not only for them but for their children as well.
The countries of the world came together in 2015 through the United Nations and adopted the Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved by the year 2030. These include, among other things, ending preventable child and maternal deaths as well as making basic and essential health care available to all. At present, 7.5 million mothers as well as their babies and young offspring are dying each year, mostly from conditions that are readily preventable or treatable. Another 4 million deaths are occurring each year from TB, HIV, malaria and lack of essential surgical care, also conditions that are readily preventable or treatable. At least half of the world’s population lacks access to essential health services. At least half of the world’s population lacks access to essential health services.
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