Tom Okeyo Mboya

Health for 21st Century Plus Tom Okeyo Mboya

In this third issue of Health of Nation series, Health for 21st Century Plus, we discuss five priority areas considered critical to prevent failure to achieve health and health-related targets of the Sustainable Development Goals 2016-2030. They are by no means easy. They require reforms but builds on the work already done or ongoing. Facing the Bull by the Horn in order to effect greater efficiency and effectiveness in improving health of the worlds peoples requires realistic and feasible progressive steps of a Journey of a thousand miles. We discuss new ways to foster innovation for new heath products using ANDI model in all WHO regions in order to manage the problems of antimicrobial resistance, neglected tropical diseases as well as diseases with no known cure. Necessary reforms of the WHO Secretariat to make it focus greater attention on providing technical assistance to States to substantially increase domestic health financing, and to strengthen consultation and cooperation among States and, with non-State actors considered doable, low hanging fruits. The difficult but doable reforms requests the 2016 United Nations Secretary-General High-Level Task on access to medicines to prioritize consultations towards a Convention on Universal health coverage, a Convention on Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public Health, Innovation, Intellectual Property, Sustainable financing for research and development as well as a Framework Convention for training, accreditation and motivation of health professionals, among others. Strengthening International Health Regulations 2005 by further action by UN Security Council, Conference on Disarmament and the World Trade Organization considered. The World has gone crazy with a new epidemic of complex State-sponsored conflicts, with potential for access to biological, chemical, nuclear and other weapons of mass destructions by crazy people. Disease outbreaks have negative impact on international trade. Health for 21st Century Plus provides the way forward based on research evidence on improving quality in health care for the worlds peoples as well as over three decades of experience and knowledge contributing to making and managing health policy reforms at national and global levels.