Vatican: States should include planning for religious organizations involved in health care

Speech by the Holy See's representative at the 70th World Health Assembly, in Geneva. "Just as much as 1% of all funding for research and health care is devoted to diseases that mainly affect developing countries."

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "Religious organizations and other faith-based institutions" that in many countries have a significant responsibility for healthcare systems "must be included in policy formulation" the Vatican has told the 70th World Health Assembly, which is being held in Geneva.

Msgr. Ivan Jurkovič, permanent observer of the Holy See at the United Nations in Geneva, in his speech, also published by the Vatican, stated that " as States embark on planning, investing and implementing measures for the development of quality infrastructure and the creation of resilient health systems, it is important that central governments do not focus only on systems that are directly coordinated and operated by state institutions, but that they have an inclusive approach that embraces all major stake-holders, especially religious organizations whose contribution to health service delivery is fundamental. In fact in many countries, religious organization and other faith based institutions assume significant responsibility for health systems and thus should be included in the formulation of policies related to health systems and should be given access to adequate resources in order to assure the strength and capacity of such undertakings in the religious and non-governmental sectors."

The Vatican diplomat said the need to provide better healthcare systems should include "effective and accessible interventions for prevention and care for everyone, especially for the most disadvantaged, most vulnerable and disadvantaged of our societies, including migrants and refugees. "

"A well-functioning health system ought to have among other things a reliable supply of medicinesand technologies. However, the situation on the ground, as it emerges from the Report of the Secretariat on the progress in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with regard to access to selected essential medicines, calls for resolute action from the international community. It is recorded that median availability of selected essential medicines is only 56% in the public sector of lower-middle-income countries. Moreover, “innovation for new products remains focused away from the health needs of those living in developing countries… and as little as 1% of all funding for health research and development is allocated to diseases that predominantly affect developing countries.”We need to forge partnerships that will help to align health research and development with global health demands and needs, in order to ensure increased access to essential drugs for all. As Pope Francis has affirmed: “health, indeed, is not a consumer good, but a universal right which means that access to healthcare services cannot be a privilege.” In this regard, the new Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development has planned an International Conference around the theme “Addressing Global Health Disparities”, which will take place in the Vatican, from 16 to 18 November 2017. "

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