Global Health has been an essential working group in past C20 summits, reflecting the healthcare issues of the day. Nothing highlighted inequities, inequalities, and the limitations of our existing healthcare systems around the globe as starkly as the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, as the focus shifts from vaccination, we intend to address how to reinforce global healthcare systems and addressing gaps made more apparent by the pandemic.The C20 Integrated Holistic Health working group will comprise seven subgroups with areas of focus that include mental health, nutrition, women’s and children’s health, elderly care, holistic health approaches, One Health, and the reduction of noncommunicable diseases.
Delving into these themes, the working group aims to widen the discussions on different facets of SDG3: Good Health and Well-Being. The discussions will bring together mental health professionals, understand lessons learned from the recently established WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (WHO GCTM) in India, and also discuss how digital health can be a part of the larger narrative on global and holistic health. Globally, healthcare access issues were exacerbated during the pandemic, particularly among disadvantaged populations. People could not get the routine health care critical to the prevention and treatment of noncommunicable diseases. A decrease in physical activity and the disruption of routines adversely affected people’s physical and emotional health.Mental health issues increased worldwide, manifesting as rising substance abuse, depression, anxiety, family discord, suicide, and so on. Mental health has traditionally been neglected for a variety of reasons, including a shortage of psychiatrists and psychologists, the stigma and discrimination associated with mental health issues, and the lack of awareness of and access to mental health care.
Malnutrition and food security issues continue to be of concern, manifesting as obesity in some parts of the world and undernutrition in others. Undernutrition causes 45 percent of deaths in children under the age of five. Maternal and child mortality rates have decreased in recent decades and yet still remain too high, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia.Access to palliative care and pain relief remains limited among vulnerable populations, such as the elderly. The World Health Organization estimates that eighty percent of the global population lacks access to adequate treatments for pain. Populations in low- and middle-income countries bear the brunt of these health issues, as well as marginalized and disadvantaged socioeconomic groups. These issues not only devastate the lives of individuals, families, and communities but also come at a grave cost to society as loss of productivity and economic effects.
Efforts to address these concerns should take a holistic approach that addresses the physical, emotional, environmental, and social components to health. Solutions should consider the many barriers that prevent access to health care and limit individuals’ ability to lead a healthy lifestyle. Traditional medicine systems, such as Ayurveda, can play a significant role in making holistic health an integral part of the global healthcare system. Delving into these areas of focus, the working group aims to widen the discussions on different facets of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being. The discussions will bring together health professionals, educators, and leaders from across the public health landscape to formulate policies that support global health and well-being
