In our global village, diseases too are global
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan has rightly noted that in today's globalised world, no country can exist in isolation. Clichéd as it may sound, we do live in a global village, although we often fail to comprehend the extent to which our destinies are connected. For example, we know that disturbances on Wall Street can send ripples through Dalal Street. But rarely do we consider the implications of the rise of polio in Pakistan on this country's public health.
India was declared polio-free this January after no new cases were reported for three consecutive years, but in Pakistan, the disease is gaining ground at breakneck speed — 11 new cases were reported on a single day this past week, bringing the official count for this year alone to 138 cases, already a four-fold increase over 2013's figure. To understand the gravity of communicability involved across borders, one only has to look at how Ebola is spreading in West Africa, crippling entire nations, and even reaching the borders of other continents. That greater cooperation is needed at the global level to contain these kinds of diseases goes without saying. Yet, health issues have rarely been a priority at general multi-lateral or bilateral forums. By calling for the institutionalisation of public health in the rubric of international diplomacy, Dr Harsh Vardhan (who not only pioneered the polio eradication programme in India but also assisted with similar initiatives across South East Asia) has sought to change that template. For example, while India's polio programme has been a hit, Bangladesh's community clinics, with their emphasis on women as the chief beneficiaries, are a roaring success. Sri lanka has drastically reduced maternal and infant mortality rates, while Maldives has almost eradicated malaria. Greater regional collaboration will not only help Governments protect their people better from diseases afflicting others, but also allow countries to work with one another so as to put up a stronger fight against common problems. In the process, they can learn from experiences and tap into one another's indigenous resources.
Indeed, this is precisely what health officials and policymakers from 11 South East Asian countries, including India, agreed to do at the 67th session of World Health Organisation's Regional Committee meet in Dhaka earlier this month. Five of the member nations — India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Thailand — also signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on the eradication of Visceral leishmaniasis, commonly known as Kala Azar. Over 147 million people in the region are still at risk of contracting this life-threatening disease; more than half of them are in India, Bangladesh and Nepal, mostly in the border areas. Experts believe that the target of less than one Kala Azar case per 10,000 population annually is within reach. The regional effort seems to be just the last-mile boost that is needed.