Health
The Health Section works at policy level with member governments to ensure that health is an integral part of sustainable development and poverty alleviation. It does so by developing and implementing projects responsive to the needs of Commonwealth citizens.
This includes the successful ‘Code of Practice for the International Recruitment of Health Workers’ which provides guidelines to tackle the migration of health workers from Commonwealth countries.
The section also has programmes on maternal health, involving workshops and training of midwives.
Commonwealth citizens are disproportionately affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic with an estimated 60 per cent of the world’s sufferers living in the Commonwealth. The Health Section has assisted member countries in implementing policies that address the role of men in preventing HIV/AIDS. It is also helping countries strengthen the health and education sectors' response to HIV/AIDS.
What is e-health?
E-health is the use of information, communication and technology (ICT) to deliver health care. Many countries have begun supporting their health sectors with the use of ICTs. With an acute shortage of health care professionals in many countries, limited resources and high-profile international efforts to address diseases such as malaria and HIV, the e-health agenda is now a top priority. E-health is a key tool to address the health related Millennium Development Goals, in particular the eighth goal – developing a global partnership for development.
What are non-communicable diseases?
They are diseases that are not infectious and can’t be passed on (eg diabetes). Non-communicable diseases are gaining prominence on the global health agenda. There is evidence that they account for an estimated 60 per cent of global deaths. Efforts to reduce non-communicable diseases would therefore have a substantial impact on global health.
How many Commonwealth citizens live with HIV?
Commonwealth countries represent approximately 30 per cent of the world’s population, but carry a disproportionate 60 per cent of the world’s HIV/AIDS burden of over 40 million infected people.
What are the Millennium Development Goals?
The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – which range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015 – form a blueprint agreed by all the world’s countries and all the world’s leading development institutions. (Source: UN).
The eight goals are:
- Eradcate extreme poverty and hunger
- Achieve universal primary education
- Promote gender equality and empower women
- Reduce child mortality
- Improve maternal health
- Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and other diseases
- Ensure environmental sustainability
- Develop a global partnership for development
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