April 7th of each year marks World Health Day, and it’s safe to say that globally we have faced the greatest healthcare challenge this last year than any other in recent history. For most of us, the Covid-19 pandemic is like nothing we have ever experienced before, and every country has learnt to cope with it in the best way that they can. Millions of lives have been lost and families irreparably changed.
One thing that has become clear is that while Covid-19 has hit all countries hard, the effects have been harshest in the countries and communities with limited access to healthcare services, and who are already living and working in conditions that aren’t conducive to good health. This year, as part of their World Health Day campaign, the World Health Organisation are calling on leaders to do more to ensure that everyone is living and working in conditions that support good health, while also monitoring health inequalities and improving access to quality health services.
We believe that as well as acting on the social determinants of health inequality, innovation is crucial, not just for identifying and treating Covid-19 but all health issues, including cancer. Faster, simpler and more affordable diagnosis and treatment techniques will help to improve access to quality healthcare around the world, radically benefitting societies and economies and saving lives. This is especially important considering that the impact the pandemic had on services relating to other serious health conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer, is still yet to be seen.
And despite the obvious heartbreak and loss around the world as a result of Covid-19, we have also seen some truly heart-warming and inspiring stories. In New Orleans, colourful chalk messages of gratitude outside the Ochsner Medical Center have lifted the spirits of hardworking staff. Doctors around the world, including Dr. Chuck Wright, have come out of retirement to help fight the disease and staff at Hospital del Mar in Barcelona took recovering Covid-19 patients to the beach to admire the seaside. And of course, here in the UK, Sir Captain Tom Moore inspired the nation to raise more than £32 million pounds for our National Health Service before he sadly passed away aged 100 in February this year.
“This World Health Day, RMDM would like to thank all of the Healthcare workers around the world for their tireless efforts, especially during the last 12 months. We’d particularly like to express our deep gratitude to those on the front lines, the unsung heroes of our time, for doing their best every single day to improve and save lives in the face of such adversity. Thank you”. – Ahmed Bourghida, Chief Scientific Officer at RMDM