Governments must view healthcare as a national security issue and strengthen economic security systems, moving toward universal health coverage. However, in the current geopolitical climate, investments in healthcare are not a priority, writes Batyr Berdyklychev, Head of the WHO Representative Office in Russia.
On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), and on March 11, 2020, it characterized the outbreak as a pandemic. The pandemic impacted numerous aspects of society, including the economy, tourism, education, healthcare, and science.
The lessons learned from the pandemic are crucial, as they will significantly shape our future behaviour.
The pandemic exposed the unpreparedness of many countries, including high-income nations, for such an unprecedented situation. Infectious diseases had ceased to be a leading cause of mortality, and healthcare systems in many countries were ill-equipped to handle the sudden surge in demand, both in terms of funding and hospital bed capacity. We remember scenes of overcrowded hospital corridors in many European countries and the alarming death toll, particularly among the elderly.
Today, COVID-19 has become part of our daily lives, transitioning into the category of common infections, though people still die from the virus. To date, countries have reported over 7 million COVID-19 deaths worldwide. However, due to imperfect statistical systems and differences in death reporting, the estimated excess mortality is significantly higher, exceeding 27 million deaths, which likely provides a more accurate reflection of the pandemic’s scale and impact.
One positive outcome was the unprecedented speed of vaccine development. Typically, this process takes up to a decade, but the COVID-19 vaccine was developed in less than a year. However, we are well aware of the issues of shortages and inequities in the distribution of vaccines, diagnostics, treatments, and personal protective equipment (PPE), especially in the early stages of the pandemic. The rise of so-called “vaccine nationalism” led to a situation where wealthy countries stockpiled vaccines, while poorer nations were left without. Limited production of PPE and ventilators sparked market frenzies and highlighted the importance of production and technological sovereignty.