seven steps for transformational change towards health equity

The present landscape of global health lacks democratic governance (by all), accountability to its (untargeted and unmeasured) common objective (best health for all) and strategies at national and global levels which do not influence root causes (in all policies), are at best of a mitigating nature of health inequities and remain fragmented in terms of access and use of quality health services. Such scenario leads to an estimated global health inequity toll of close to 20 million deaths every year, one in three deaths (unfair and avoidable), a figure and proportion which have remained stagnant in the last 20 years.

The present document reviews and makes a seven-step proposal which includes the international health definition (requiring update) and objective, the operationalization of the universal right to health (with a pending commitment to the ICESCRs), the (often missing) principles of global health initiatives, the root causes of social and ecological (complex and lacking hierarchical analysis) factors influencing health, the international and WHO (failed) commitment to monitor health equity, the development cooperation (insufficient, non-binding, not aligned, non-equitable) policies and programs and the need (based on the ethics of equity) to review global and national health policies.