Public health diplomacy vital for global security
Friday, February 28, 2025 | 200 Views |
Disease outbreaks spread very fast when medical facilities of the country are destroyed, and displaced communities struggle with non-existent access to clean water and sanitation. Without proper healthcare infrastructure, even treatable diseases become a challenge, making public health crises unavoidable.
Conflicts destroys the very foundation of healthcare, tears down hospitals, cutting off supply chains, and crowd out trained medical personnel. Outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, tuberculosis, and polio become uncontrolled, affecting not just war-torn nations but also neighbouring countries. Refugee camps are often overcrowded and lacking essential hygiene, becoming breeding grounds for epidemics. Humanitarian organisations like WHO, the Red Cross, and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) play an important role in responding to these crises, yet their work is frequently hampered by security threats, political obstructions, and logistical hurdles.
It highlights the need to protect rights such as access to clean water, education, healthcare and freedom of expression.President Duma Boko, rightly honours past interventions from securing a dignified burial for Gaoberekwe Pitseng in the CKGR to promoting linguistic inclusion. Yet, they also expose a critical truth, that a nation cannot sustainably protect its people through ad hoc acts of compassion alone.It is time for both government and the...