It Takes Solidarity to Win the War against COVID-19 and Achieve Health and Well-Being For All

In 2015, World Leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  The DGs call for action by all countries to promote prosperity while maintaining peace, protecting the planet, the people and building partnerships. With only ten years remaining to achieve these goals, countries are accelerating steps towards ending poverty, fighting inequalities, tackling climate change and ensuring that no one is left behind. Every month, the United Nations places one of the 17 SDGs under the spotlight, highlighting its purpose, targets and criticality in advancing Agenda 2030. This month’s focus is SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being.

Our health and well-being are under siege.

 Coronavirus, together with a host of other infectious diseases that appeared  in recent years, are threatening to reverse the gains made around the world in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Sustainable development cannot be achieved  without ensuring healthy lives and well-being of all people.

Since its inception, the United Nations has been actively involved in promoting and protecting health worldwide. Leading that effort within the UN system is the World Health Organization (WHO), whose creation came into force on 7 April 1948 - a date that we now celebrate every year as the World Health Day.

Today, WHO is still spearheading the response against diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, cancer and emerging diseases  such as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), Ebola, Zika virus and, more recently, COVID-19.

It is a daunting task. One that requires the cooperation of many other partners, including Governments, private sector, civil society, academia, media, faith-based groups and others.

Significant progress in health and well-being has been achieved over the years. For example, globally, 17,000 fewer children than in 1990 die each day from preventable diseases. However, despite this progress, more than five million of them continue to die before their fifth birthday each year. Four out of five child deaths occur in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia: a tragic statistic.

Eswatini has also made progress in this area. Infant mortality rate was reduced from 80 per 1,000 live births in 2012 to 67 in 2014. Increasing immunization coverage for children under the age of five, and the introduction of new vaccines, have contributed to this progress.

World leaders have committed to reducing the infant mortality rate to 25 per 1,000 live births by 2030. It remains a daunting task for all countries but one that needs to be achieved if we are to ensure healthy lives for all people at all ages. One preventable child death is one too many.

Mothers who die from pregnancy complications or childbirth is also another area of concern. Globally, the maternal mortality rate has fallen by 37 percent since 2000 while antenatal care offered to mothers in developing regions has increased from 65 percent in 1990 to 83 percent in 2012. However, mothers in developing regions are 14 times more likely to die from childbirth than mothers in developed countries.

Eswatini has also made significant progress with its maternal mortality rate falling from 593 per 100,000 childbirths in 2012 to 474 per 100,000 childbirths in 2017. This is still quite far from the 70 deaths per 100,000 childbirths target of the SDGs.

The Government, with support from the United Nations and partners, continues to strengthen maternal health services by rehabilitating maternity units in hospitals and constructing health centres and clinics. The capacity of healthcare workers and community health motivators continues to be strengthened to ensure safe pregnancies and deliveries.   

Prevalence in HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis has stabilised; however, Eswatini  is experiencing an increase in noncommunicable diseases which resulted in about 12% of total deaths between 2013 and 2017.  The UN and partners continue to support the Kingdom towards its commitment to ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2022.

Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is paramount in achieving overall health and well-being. However, half of the global population still does not have access to essential health services. At a time when the world fights COVID-19, termed by the UN Secretary-General, Mr António Guterres, as: “the worst global crisis since World War II”, ensuring access by all to medical and health services is critical in enabling recovery for all and curbing the spread of the deadly disease.

Over 2.6 million COVID-19 infections have been reported worldwide with over 180,000 deaths. However, more than 700,00 people have recovered: an important statistic to acknowledge in consideration of access to essential medical services. The COVID-19 crisis calls for solidarity across the globe and a sustained focus on the SDGs, particularly SDG3.   

COVID-19 has increased vulnerability of highrisk groups, including pregnant mothers, young children, elderly, women and girls, people with disabilities, LGBTQIs, migrants, sex workers and those living in confined spaces such as detention centres.

In these hard times for everyone, we continue to strive to “Leave No One Behind”, as guided by agenda 2030. The UN and partners continue to advocate for the rights of vulnerable groups to be recognized and respected during this COVID-19 crisis.

In order for us to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, it is up to us, as individuals, to play our part and do our very best to prevent the spread of the virus. Don’t underestimate the power that you have: you are important warrior in our battle against COVID-19. Start by washing your hands frequently for 20 seconds with soap and water or an alcohol-based sanitizer, coughing or sneezing into a flexed elbow, remaining one to two metres apart from others, and following Government’s regulations during the lockdown period.

As the UN, we stand in solidarity with the people of Eswatini, Eswatini’s Government, and our partners. We continue to strive for a people-centered response to COVID-19 by protecting health workers who are in the frontlines of the response, engaging with communities, respecting human rights and inclusion, fighting for gender equality and dignity for all.

The humanitarian and socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 are vast, unforeseen and many remain unknown. In response to the need to address humanitarian needs in the pandemic, the UN, National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), Eswatini Government and humanitarian partners are working closely to deliver on Eswatini Humanitarian Response Plan, aiming to ensure that nobody is left behind in the pandemic and, in turn, in the achievement of Agenda 2030.

The COVID-19 pandemic is overwhelming. However, if we stand in solidarity with one another, we can beat it! The United Nations in Eswatini will continue to serve the people of Eswatini throughout the crisis and beyond, delivering as ONE UN and working closely with the Government and partners. We will strive to keep our promises for the people and the planet.

In this  Decade of Action, let us stand together to fight all threats to our health and well-being.  Let us continue to ensure healthy lives and well-being of people of all ages by 2030.

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Facts and Figures

• At least 400 million people have no basic healthcare, and 40 percent lack social protection.
• More than 1.6 billion people live in fragile settings where protracted crises, combined with weak national capacity to deliver basic health services, present a significant challenge to global health.
• By the end of 2017, 21.7 million people living with HIV were receiving antiretroviral therapy. Yet more than 15 million people are still waiting for treatment.
• Every two seconds, someone aged 30 to 70 years dies prematurely from noncommunicable diseases - cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes or cancer.
• 7 million people die every year from exposure to fine particles in polluted air.
• More than one of every three women have experienced either physical or sexual violence at some point in their life resulting in both short- and long-term consequences for their physical, mental, and sexual and reproductive health.

Targets

• By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births
• By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births
• By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases
• By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being
• Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol
• By 2020, halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents
• By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes
• Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all
• By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination
• Strengthen the implementation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in all countries, as appropriate
• Support the research and development of vaccines and medicines for the communicable and non-communicable diseases that primarily affect developing countries, provide access to affordable essential medicines and vaccines, in accordance with the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, which affirms the right of developing countries to use to the full the provisions in the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights regarding flexibilities to protect public health, and, in particular, provide access to medicines for all
• Substantially increase health financing and the recruitment, development, training and retention of the health workforce in developing countries, especially in least developed countries and small island developing States
• Strengthen the capacity of all countries, in particular developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks