The world continues to shrink and there is increasing interdependence.

Sickness and viruses have likewise transcended national boundaries. And like the problem of poverty and education that demand international cooperation, the health sector likewise requires greater global collaboration. Not only is this “a practical necessity but more importantly, an ethical imperative of solidarity.”

The World Bank has predicted that this year, an additional 53 to 65 million people will be trapped in extreme poverty, and that the number of people who will experience chronic hunger will reach over a billion, 800 million of whom will be in the rural areas. These staggering
figures have caused deep concern.

While various programs have been launched to address the problem, a major obstacle to achieving the internationally articulated goals in public health is the inequalities that exist between and within countries, and between racial and ethnic groups.

Women in many regions continue to be among those deprived of quality health care. Many hospitals, health clinics, and homes for the elderly and disabled as well as other health care programs in isolated and marginalized areas do not receive an equitable share of the resources provided to support local, national, and global initiatives.

It is not enough to track the flow of assistance and increase global health programs and projects to ensure “Health for All.” It is imperative, too, that access to primary health care facilities and affordable medicines be made possible to an increasing number of population to improve global health status.

In working toward achieving these, we should endeavor to heed the best health care tradition that respects and promotes the right to life, regardless of race, disability, nationality, religion, gender, and socio-economic status.

We need to espouse an ethical approach to development, which puts the human person at the core of all initiatives, and embraces the needs and aspirations of the entire human family.