World Bank: Latin America owes a debt to mental health

Depression, domestic violence, anxiety, suicide… Latin America already had a “debt” to mental health before the covid pandemic and this has only increased in recent years, according to the director of health The World BankJuan Pablo Uribe.

“There is a lot of interest in increasing direct investment in mental health programs. This will be one of the most serious emergencies in our countries,” he admitted in an interview. EFE at the agency’s Washington office.

The key, according to the expert, is to accompany people in their own communities and not in specialized centers, a recommendation they share with the World Health Organization (WHO) that highlights the need to strengthen child care in primary schools after the pandemic. .

A former Colombian health minister detailed how Covid-19 has hit Latin America, in part because of the fragility of its health systems, causing many essential services to be interrupted for longer than elsewhere.

These shortcomings have left the continent “suffering from more excess mortality” than other regions, and rebuilding and strengthening it lies the key to preventing the worst effects of future pandemics, the expert said.

“It is extremely important that when we emerge from covid, we can really learn the lessons,” Uribe said, highlighting the importance of equity in access to healthcare.

“The main determinant of disease is poverty, vulnerability, isolation,” he added, and restoring basic services such as vaccinations, cancer tests or investment in universal health care are fundamental steps to rebuilding a resilient system.

universal health

Ensuring this strengthening of primary health care requires that the highest-income countries contribute to funding the reconstruction of the health systems most affected by the pandemic, which will also protect the world from future emergencies.

“Most of this agenda is regional and global, not national,” Uribe explained.

The Colombian doctor cited as an example the Pandemic Fund, approved by the Bank last September, through which the institution will seek to strengthen “prevention, preparedness and response capacity in areas such as zoonotic disease surveillance, laboratories, communication, coordination and emergency management.” “.

Countries such as Germany, China and the United States, as well as organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation or the Rockefeller Foundation, have already pledged up to $1.4 billion, and the development bank expects more to come in the coming months.

The WHO will also advise its board of directors on where to make the best investments.

healthy taxes

In addition to external funding, one way to increase investment in health care is through “healthy taxes,” which tax harmful products such as tobacco, alcohol, or sugary drinks.

According to Uribe, these rates can “increase resources for the sector while reducing spending needs” as they improve the health of the population.

While the expert acknowledged that its implementation should take into account the economic, political and social realities of each country, Latin America This is a good example of a region where taxes on sugary drinks can be of great benefit due to high levels of sedentary lifestyles and rising obesity and overweight.

These types of measures also have a significant impact on equity, as their impact on the poorest and most vulnerable communities is usually much higher, Uribe explained.

“Tobacco taxes have been gradually increased over the decades. The same can be done with other healthy measures in a progressive way,” he admitted.

(As reported by EFE)