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Journal of Health Communication:

International Perspectives
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Advancing Health: Global Challenges and

Public Drive for Change
Scott C. Ratzan

Version of record first published: 25 Jul 2008

To cite this article: Scott C. Ratzan (2008): Advancing Health: Global Challenges and Public Drive for
Change, Journal of Health Communication: International Perspectives, 13:5, 415-416

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 Journal of Health Communication, 13:415–416, 2008
Copyright # Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN: 1081-0730 print/1087-0415 online
DOI: 10.1080/10810730802247347

Editorial

Advancing Health: Global Challenges and Public

Drive for Change

SCOTT C. RATZAN

At the World Health Assembly in May, 2008, the global strategy proposed by the
Downloaded by [University of Hyderabad] at 10:34 10 July 2012

Intergovernmental Working Group on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual

Property was approved. Of great value is a focus on the challenges for 2.7 billion
people in developing countries who (43%) live on less than US $2 per day. The
strategy is further aims to reach the other 2.1 billion living in developing countries
where communicable diseases currently accounts for half of the diseases present.
The approved strategy recognizes that poverty, among other issues, prevents
access to medical commodities for this population. The World Health Organization’s
(WHO’s) Member States recognized that market-driven research and development
should be expanded to include additional incentives for health needs-driven research
and development, and to make these advances affordable and accessible in develop-
ing countries. The ‘‘new’’ strategy is designed to promote new thinking in innovation
and access to medicines, which would encourage needs-driven research rather than
purely market-driven research to target diseases which disproportionately affect
people in developing countries.
The WHO is the ultimate global institution to protect and promote public health.
With globalization and a landscape with disease knowing no boundaries, solutions
and ideas include the application and management of intellectual property in a way
that maximizes health-related innovation and access. The success of the WHO has
been evident with standard setting, promotion of immunization for vaccine prevent-
able disease (notably the eradication of smallpox and the nearly complete fight
against polio), galvanizing against infectious disease threats, and the first Framework
Convention on Tobacco Control. As the world changes and the demographic of
disease moves to chronic and non-communicable disease, new ideas are necessary.
This strategy that was endorsed by the 193 Member States at the World Health
Assembly (available at http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/2008/wha61/
issues_paper1/en/print.html) include:
. an assessment of health needs in developing countries and identification of
research and development priorities;
. promotion of research and development on diseases which substantially or over-
whelmingly affect people in developing countries, and also diseases which affect
rich and poor countries with large numbers of vulnerable populations in both;

Scott C. Ratzan MD, MPA is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal for Health Communication:
International Perspectives. He also is Vice President, Global Health, Government Affairs &
Policy for Johnson & Johnson.

415
 416 Editorial

. exploration and implementation, where appropriate, of possible incentive schemes

for research and development;
. improvement of research and development capacity in developing countries;
. improvement, promotion and acceleration of technology transfer;
. improvement of access to all health commodities by effectively overcoming
barriers to access; and
While these are magnanimous in intent to assist the 4.8 billion people living in
developing countries, there is clearly a need to reconsider and re-evaluate the role of
the state, not-for-profit and private corporations, non-governmental organizations,
faith-based institutions, donors, foundations, academia, other multilateral institutions
engaged in health (World Bank, IMF, United Nations, UNAIDS, OECD, Unicef,
WIPO, WTO etc.) , and other actors who engage in addressing the growing challenges
we face. These challenges require active engagement and participation by multiple
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parties to invest in health as a shared responsibility of 21st Century progress.

There is no actual ‘‘public opinion or survey’’ to serve as a barometer for change
in the developing world. Of course, health indicators and comparisons of technology
transfer and development suggest the focus where change is needed for developing
countries. In contrast, a recent Harris Interactive Poll suggests impatience in the five
largest countries and the United States with their health care. Even though there is
solidarity in Europe with people covered with a basic health system–in the US 47
million are uninsured–people are broadly dissatisfied with their health care system.
The poll of 6,735 adults in the U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the United
States indicated from 59% of those surveyed in France to 88% of those in the United
States believed the health care system need fundamental changes ad=or to be
completely rebuilt. (75% in the U.K., 77% in Germany and 79% in Italy.)
This criticism of the public health care system is also evident in questions relat-
ing to the standard of care and treatment and their costs are questioned. For
instance, the majority of Europeans as well as Americans believe that standards of
care and treatment are moving in the wrong direction. Between 57% (Spain) and
80% in Germany think standards are declining.
With regard to the costs of care and treatment, Americans are most likely to
agree that costs are rising too fast (89%) closely followed by Germans (86%) with
only 57% of Spaniards.
The challenges of the overall economy and health costs will undoubtedly strain
our current systems. Yet, with aging populations in the North, rising chronic and
non-communicable disease globally, antecedent risks such as obesity on the rise, pro-
jections of climate change and environmental degradation challenging public health
systems, the time is now for communication to begin a heightening for a global com-
pact to focus on health. Health as we know it today can be protected with age old
proven health and hygiene techniques, 21st century evidence for primary, secondary,
and tertiary prevention, health literacy goals for people to act upon information and
make health decisions appropriately, and a robust opportunity to advance medical
science with new discoveries, developments and treatments. In the global market-
place often led by economics and security concerns, of utmost importance is the
health of the people. We need to communicate these at all levels and begin to act
with policies and strategies to advance health globally.