Globalization is a hard to fathom phenomenon that not just impacts global economy and financial interests but also drives our future led by the multinational companies. No wonder that healthcare providers now have to take into account the global healthcare problems instead of looking at regional healthcare issues alone.
Healthcare is definitely the backbone of any country’s prosperity. If there are gaps in the healthcare system then it will create problems for a country’s overall progress. With development of globalization, the global healthcare scenario is changing at a rapid pace creating new problems for the healthcare providers to tackle. However, the challenges are also opportunities for global leadership and solution hunting which we should not overlook.
What is the requirement of global healthcare leadership?
You may think what the necessity of global leadership is when there are already so many international hospitals that serve local patients as well as the international patients. Serving international patients and providing global healthcare leadership are two different things.
Let’s have a look at international laws. There are particular organizations which implement these laws and regulate them so that there is peace in our human world. Without global leadership, disarmament after the Second World War would have been a dream, with mistrust brewing in every country.
Similarly, global healthcare leadership can help in determining the solutions to global healthcare problems and chalk out a healthier future where at least a major portion of the populace receives necessary medical care and treatments.
The demands of healthcare consumers are changing
The patients are basically consumers who receive treatments and medical facilities in exchange of money. However, even in countries as developed as the US, patients fail to fully behave as consumers. There exists a sort of disconnection between the doctors and the patients or consumers.
Employer driven initiatives are creating more awareness regarding the importance of taking an active role in one’s own treatments. Patients hardly ask questions about the treatment procedures and why is it needed but the new generation of conscious and educated consumers want to know everything about their ailments.
The consumers are no more faceless masses of men and women. Each of them is now demanding personalized treatments and customized medical facilities. The global population will grow from 7 billion to 9 billion by 2050 as life expectancy rate has increased a huge part of this population will be aging. As a consequence, affordability, availability, access, safety of food and nutrition will receive more importance and help in decision formation.
The space for global healthcare leadership is widening
WHO is definitely doing a good job at measuring the state of healthcare in every part and region of the world. World Bank which is steadily supporting WHO and funding it has now become one of the major leaders of global healthcare leadership. This financial organization is playing a significant role in the healthcare priorities that need attention and finance.
In the recent past, some global health partnerships like the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation have emerged to improve the bleak condition of healthcare in some ways. The Bill & Melinda Gates foundation does not contribute much for chronic diseases but it is consistently working to help HIV victims and preventing the spread of this dire disease.
A new sort of global healthcare leadership is emerging now with an emphasis on sustainable development. It is only possible if governments show the political courage to take steps in banning export of harmful substances like tobacco and mutton flaps in favor of global healthcare.
New global health challenges are creating space for global health leadership. New global healthcare leaders are emerging but for their initiatives to be fully effective they will require the cooperation of governments across the world.]]>