Ensure Adequate Investment In Health

Investing in health enhances quality of life and long-term well-being and is one of the best ways to promote sustainable economic growth. Health is not merely an individual concern, it is a collective asset that affects social stability, productivity, and national growth and success. In many countries in the world, underfunding still exists in health, despite its known benefits, which leads to a surge in preventable diseases, increases avoidable deaths, and, thus, economic burdens.

One of the most important choices that individuals and governments can make is to invest in health. Healthy citizen makes a productive workforce and contributes significantly to a thriving economy and a just society. Resources are often limited; thus, it is essential to carefully prioritise investments owing to the resource constraints and the constantly changing health priorities.

Ensuring that people have access to high-quality healthcare services and live healthy and longer should not be the only goal of investing in health. Rather, healthier lives should be the goal of investing in health, which goes far beyond simply building more hospitals or purchasing expensive medical equipment. Hence, the strategic allocation of resources needs to be planned with an emphasis on areas that will have the greatest long-term return on carefully planned investment.

High quality healthcare

People often take their health for granted until they fall sick. On the one hand, access to high-quality medical care, preventative measures, and a functional healthcare system can ultimately save lives and on the other hand, lower medical costs in the long run. Investing in health should not be focused just on treating diseases. It should be targeted at avoiding diseases, improving well-being, and establishing a background that enables people to live productive, fulfilling and healthy lives. 

Both physical and mental health are equally important for people to work efficiently, support their families, and participate in economic activities. When employees frequently become ill, productivity suffers. Workdays lost to illness are lower in countries with well-functioned and strong healthcare systems. Healthy workers are more able to concentrate, be creative, and work more efficiently. Poor mental health and chronic diseases drastically affect productivity at work.

People live longer and, hence, contribute to the economy for longer in countries which has robust healthcare systems. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), every dollar spent on health benefits the economy at least four-fold. Investing in health promotes sustainable economic growth by decreasing healthcare costs, avoiding illnesses, and boosting labor force performance.

Underfunding in preventive care results in increased mortality, overstretched hospitals, and costlier medical procedures. Hence, prevention should always be given priority to decrease the burden on healthcare costs. Moreover, investing in health is a moral obligation of the country as well as an economic strategy. Access to high-quality healthcare is a fundamental human right, even though millions of people worldwide lack access to even basic medical services. 

It has been seen, particularly in resource-poor countries that health disparity still exists between the rich and the poor. People from lower-income households frequently struggle with medical costs and fall into the poverty cycle, wealthier people have easy access to better medical care. Governments must endeavour to close this gap by offering disadvantaged people subsidised healthcare, making investments in rural healthcare infrastructure, and lowering the price of essential medicines because everyone should have access to healthcare, not just the wealthy.

The best way to invest in health is to prevent illnesses before they occur. Preventive care eases the strain on already overstretched healthcare systems in resource-limited countries and is significantly less expensive than treating diseases. In terms of return on investment, vaccination is the most effective public health measure. Each year, vaccine-preventable diseases like hepatitis, polio, and measles prevent epidemics and save millions of lives worldwide. Most noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, and cancer can be prevented by educating individuals about good nutrition, appropriate hygiene, and a healthy lifestyle. 

The prevalence of non-communicable diseases can be significantly decreased by health initiatives that promote a reduction in alcohol consumption, smoking cessation, and mental health awareness. Regular health checkups and community screenings for diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and cancer allow for early detection and treatment, increasing survival rates and lowering medical expenses considerably. Hence, investing in affordable and accessible screening programs should be a priority for all healthcare systems.

Besides, a preventive approach, well-equipped primary care centres, clinics, and referral hospitals are essential components of a strong healthcare system. Poor infrastructure causes overcrowding, lengthy waiting times, and poor patient outcomes in many countries including ours. For the majority of patients, primary healthcare facilities are their first point of contact and they need to be strengthened. Strong primary health care ensures that everyone has access to basic medical services that ultimately reduce the burden on tertiary hospitals. Investing in primary health centers in underserved and rural areas bridges the gap between rich and poor. 

Diagnostic technologies 

In resource-limited countries, hospitals often lack basic medical facilities and equipment, therefore, adequate investment in surgical instruments, intensive care units, and modern diagnostic technologies enhances treatment results and ultimately saves lives. We have learned lessons from the COVID-19 epidemic that exposed the weaknesses of the global healthcare systems in responding to emergencies. Therefore, to manage future health emergencies, governments must make investments in emergency response systems, pandemic preparedness, and the storage of essential medical supplies.

Better quality of life, social stability, and economic prosperity are all correlated with strong healthcare systems that promote all preventive, promotive, and curative aspects. Therefore, prioritising health and investing in it, and ensuring that no one is left behind requires strong collaboration between governments, non-governmental organizations, and people.

(Dr. Lohani is the executive director at Health Concern. lohanis@gmail.com)