Accelerating Global Health: Pathways to Health Equity for the G20

Attribution: Nitya Mohan Khemka and Srinath Reddy, Eds., Accelerating Global Health: Pathways to Health Equity for the G20 , September 2023, Observer Research Foundation. Antimicrobial Resistance Climate Change Digital Health food systems global partnerships Mental Health non-communicable diseases Pandemic Preparedness Public Health Workforce Vaccine Access Editors’ Note The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of investing in strong health systems for countries to be able to respond to the myriad health issues that continue to confront the world—from climate change, antimicrobial resistance, and the threat of future pandemics, to chronic diseases that account for seven of every 10 deaths worldwide. G20 member states are in a unique position to tackle these urgent issues at the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September 2023. These countries account for 85 percent of global GDP, over 75 percent of global trade, and approximately two-thirds of the world’s total population. Given that sustainable development and good health and well-being for all (SDG 3) are deeply intertwined, addressing global health inequity should be at the centrestage of the G20’s primary objectives of promoting financial stability and economic growth. The state of public health in G20 nations is complex and multifaceted, with a range of interrelated challenges in need of sustainable solutions. A few of the G20 nations have well-developed healthcare systems, and yet, there continue to be significant disparities in health outcomes and access to healthcare. For instance, the United States (US) spends far more on health than other high-income countries, yet life expectancy in the country is not only significantly lower than those of its counterparts, but it has also declined since 2014. [i] Avoidable mortality in the US in the past 10 years has dropped by only 5 percent per capita—lower than the reductions of 25 percent in Switzerland or 19 percent in the United Kingdom. [ii] Addressing these disparities and improving access to quality healthcare for all, as well as tackling emerging threats are a few of the key public health challenges facing the G20 nations.