By Dr. HANS NSI Jean Stevy

For more than half a century, it has been widely accepted that health goes far beyond the realm of medicine, involving social, political, economic, environmental and other fields.

It seems commonplace to consider that health “is global”. Definitions from the World Health Organization (WHO) confirm this: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”, it is “... a fundamental human right and a global social objective”, and “... a resource for everyday life, not the goal of life. It is a positive concept, emphasizing the importance of social and personal resources as well as physical capabilities”. In this concept, the health status of individuals and populations depends not only on medical or personal factors, but also on cultural, social, economic and environmental factors such as: financial resources, employment, education, social support, nutrition, land use, the list goes on. Aristotle, looking for the right location for a city over 2,300 years ago, was already highlighting this type of concern when he declared that, “nothing is more important for health than that which is of daily and continual use, such as air and water” (Politics). To this end, to improve the health of populations, it is not enough to act on individuals to adopt healthy lifestyles. All sectors of society must collaborate in a sustainable way on the factors that determine the socio-economic and physical environment of individuals and, ultimately, on the major orientations that shape society.

Pourtant cette approche globale de la santé, en apparence facile à partager ne semble pas encore féconder largement les pratiques dans les pays en voie de developpement. Les grands progrès en matière de santé accomplis durant ces dernières décennies et les gains socio-économiques qui ont en découlé sont menacés. La croissance économique est freinée par une moindre productivité de la main-d’œuvre. En outre nous sommes tous plus exposés aux flambées épidémiques qui peuvent se propager rapidement dans un monde interconnecté. Alors que le secteur de la santé représente 11% du PIB mondial.

Il est essentiel d’assurer un financement efficace et équitable de la couverture sanitaire universelle pour assurer une croissance inclusive. Pour l’Ex-Directrice Générale de la Banque Mondiale, Kristalina Georgieva, « Le début de la solution réside dans les décisions budgétaires prises par les pays eux-mêmes. Les ministres des finances doivent comprendre que les investissements dans leurs concitoyens sont essentiels pour assurer la croissance et la prospérité d’une économie qui valorisera de plus en plus les travailleurs possédants des compétences cognitives de haut niveau ». Et selon l’américain Hans Guy. A, « une main-d’œuvre en meilleure santé est une main-d’œuvre plus compétitive et productive ». Au regard de tout ce qui précède et de la compréhension qui en découle, ICEDAC USA est convaincue ‘’qu’une population en bonne santé est le moteur d’une économie solide’’ et pense que les pays en développement ne dépensent pas assez pour la santé de leurs citoyens et on peut décrypter là un problème qui ne réside pas seulement dans le manque d’argent mais aussi dans le gaspillage ou l’inefficacité des dépenses de santé qu’effectuent ceux-ci. D’ici 2030, le déficit de financements pour fournir des services de santé abordables et de qualité atteindra 176 milliards de dollars par an dans les 54 pays les plus pauvres du monde à ça s’ajoute les difficultés liées à une population vieillissante et à l’augmentation des maladies chroniques non transmissibles.

Taken together, these factors threaten to send healthcare costs spiraling upwards, further increasing the burden on the poor, and precipitating disastrous health and economic setbacks in the decades to come.
It is therefore in the interests of the whole world to guard against these economic threats by ensuring the health and well-being of all, if we are to eradicate poverty, contribute to economic growth and ensure the prosperity of communities. Moreover, health is an inalienable human right under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In fact, when people are healthy, they can realize their full potential, children are better able to learn, workers are more productive, and parents take better care of their children.

As health is a key indicator of a country's progress, since a country with a healthy population is more likely to enjoy sustained growth, health is also essential to the stability of entire regions, since pandemics that transcend borders can have major social and economic repercussions on families and communities, It is against this backdrop that the International Organization ICEDAC USA has set itself the goal of providing technical assistance and financial support to States in general, and developing countries in particular, in the structuring and implementation of their national public health policies, through initiatives such as :

- Building“ICEDAC MEDIDAL MEWS” clinics to American standards in all Regions/Provinces of countries where ICEDAC USA has a permanent office;

- Helping governments to optimize the way their public revenues are managed, by proposing strategies that have proved their worth, and that enable them to “get what they pay for”. For example, improving primary care and community health services will particularly benefit vulnerable people in remote regions/provinces;

- Suggest taxing tobacco, alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverages to increase revenues while improving the general health of the population in each country;

- Propose investments in efficient health systems at national level to generate positive spin-offs for donors, notably by limiting the spread of infectious diseases;

- Propose innovations in healthcare investments, to ensure that healthcare does not plunge more people into extreme poverty... This list is not exhaustive.

Considerable progress has been made in global health in recent decades, but the benefits are not distributed equitably between and within countries. More than six million children die every year, and almost 300,000 women die during pregnancy or childbirth when, in many cases, these deaths could have been avoided. This is the“WHY” behind our mission.

Working with developing countries in particular and its development partners, ICEDAC USA helps strengthen health systems to ensure that the most vulnerable and hard-to-reach people, especially women and children, receive essential services and medicines, and benefit from interventions. ICEDAC USA's approach also includes training front-line community health workers and other key stakeholders, such as midwives. Partnerships are a key element of ICEDAC USA's approach. Collaborating with other international organizations and civil society in each of ICEDAC USA's partner states enables vital vaccines, nutritional supplements and other medicines and products to be delivered more effectively and efficiently. As a result, communities have the means to prevent and treat major diseases, including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia, malnutrition and undernutrition, and other major causes of mortality and morbidity. This is the “HOW” of our mission.