From providing foresight to Re:solving our most pressing health issues
Dear readers and health advocates,
Over the past two years, we have been working to change the narrative for non-communicable diseases and provided foresight into how we as a global community can accelerate action towards improved prevention and control. This was also a period when the world changed like never before.
As we begin to emerge from the pandemic, global health remains a top priority among policymakers, decision makers and health experts. There is a restless urgency to build healthier and more resilient societies that can navigate future challenges. We need to build on the momentum, and transition from foresight to action.
We know how to reduce risk factors for non-communicable diseases and devise strong health policies, but struggle to implement them. We understand the social determinants of health, but often fail to deliver equitable healthcare. We recognise that we need to invest more in preventive measures, but encounter barriers to sourcing funding.
It is time to reimagine global health by restructuring healthcare systems towards more integrated and efficient care, reimagining healthy societies beyond healthcare and across sectors, and reinventing health delivery through innovative technologies and approaches. Collectively, we need to identify, nurture and champion effective and inclusive solutions to resolve the most burning global health issues.
This is where Re:solve Global Health comes in. The leading platform for insights, conversations and solutions to what is holding us back from building healthier societies, Re:solve Global Health inspires action on urgent global health issues and hosts nuanced and candid conversations to build resilient healthcare systems and healthier societies for all.
To mark the launch of Re:solve Global Health, our special report focuses on one of the most pressing issues to arise from the covid-19 pandemic: mental wellbeing. The effects of isolation, illness and uncertainty have heightened risk factors for mental health conditions, leading to an unprecedented impact on population mental health.
In search of solutions, we explore how community-led initiatives across Africa are combating a shortage of mental health personnel by training lay workers to share the management of mental health conditions with specialists. More broadly, we examine the collective trauma experienced globally due to the pandemic across the world and probe inspiring strategies to heal communities and countries, starting with the experiences of Christchurch, New Zealand.
Furthering our quest to share broad perspectives, we speak to five experts across health promotion, suicide prevention, social media strategy, public health and international advocacy about how we can prevent mental health problems at a population level.
We look forward to working together towards resolving the most pressing health issues affecting our global community.
Angela Tufvesson