01.07.15
‘Enormous opportunity’ for UK to help improve health globally
There is an “enormous opportunity” for the UK to help further improve health globally, whilst enhancing its own standing in the world and strengthening its economy, a new report has suggested.
The report – The UK’s contribution to health globally: benefiting the country and the world –by researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global Health outlines the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges for the UK as a leader in global health.
It was noted that in most areas the UK is second only to the US in terms of measureable levels of activity and there are many “very impressive” examples from genomics to malaria and the treatment of neglected tropical diseases where the UK has led the way globally.
Researchers added that the UK could help lead improvements by developing global public goods in health to help tackle global epidemics and the new challenge of non-communicable diseases, while supporting other countries to strengthen their health systems and achieve universal health coverage.
Professor Baron Peter Piot, director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said the report shows how the UK is now leading the way in many aspects of global health and development, “particularly in research and innovation, partnership with commercial and not-for-profit sectors, universal health coverage and emergency response”.
“However, there are many challenges ahead, and barriers including immigration restrictions on health professionals, researchers and postgraduate students,” he said. “The government needs to take a strategic, coordinated approach to address these, to ensure that we can build on the UK's unique expertise and realise the opportunities for the UK economy and global influence, and our shared purpose improving health worldwide.”
The study also noted that there are “serious” internal weaknesses for the UK as its main relationships are with a limited number of nations in a restricted geography, there is a lack of technical skill in delivering alternative models of health financing and the NHS is facing an uncertain future.
In their foreword to the report, Meg Hillier MP and Lord Crisp, co-chairs of the All-Party Parliamentary Group, said: “The UK is a global power in health. It has world class universities and research, is a global leader in health policy and international development, has strong life sciences industries, a vibrant and diverse not-for-profit sector and exercises profound influence on health services globally.
“However, a combination of external competition, internal policy, and poor coordination could damage all of these assets – particularly if the UK fails to respond to changing power and perspectives across the world.”
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