The health networks have several lessons to learn from the COVID-19 pandemic in order to prepare for the crises that are expected to arise in the coming years. In this sense, the countries must in particular tackle the shortage of manpower in their hospitals, improve their supply of medical equipment and rely on better international cooperation in research.
These are some of the recommendations that emerge from a voluminous report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published Thursday.
Three years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the international organization, which has 38 member countries, takes a critical look at how this health crisis – which is neither the first nor the last to hit the planet , we recall — has been managed in the world. And his first observation is clear: the health networks were not ready to deal with such a health crisis.
“It has never been more urgent to strengthen the resilience of our health systems”, in particular by increasing funding for prevention, says the OECD. “It is important to note that health systems can build their resilience by learning lessons that enable better adaptation in the event of a crisis and it is essential to do so now to face future threats,” the document adds.
In 2019, the health systems of the organization’s member countries allocated less than 3% of their expenditure to prevention, and thus overweight people and those with chronic diseases have been more affected by COVID-19 in recent years. years, the report says. This is also the case for low-income people, who are more likely to clog the health network, adds the document.
“During the first year of the pandemic, the relative risk of dying from COVID-19 doubled for people living in the most socially deprived areas and for ethnic minority populations,” it read. The OECD therefore considers that “the promotion of healthier lifestyles and the fight against the social determinants of health”, such as poverty and unemployment, are “essential [s] to mitigate the impact of future shocks on the health system”. The organization also notes the importance of investing more in mental health in order to improve both the “resilience” of the population in the face of crises and their “well-being” in general.
Prevent an exodus
The pandemic has also exacerbated the pressure on employees in the health network, “which raises fears of a possible exodus movement” among them, at a time when several countries are already grappling with a labor shortage. of work in their hospitals, apprehends the OECD. “This would increase the pressure on those who remain in the sector, and would stretch the resources needed to provide high quality care, in particular to meet the increase in mental health needs”, raises the organization.
In order to prevent such a situation, States will have to make major investments to facilitate the recruitment of personnel in hospitals and their retention, estimates the OECD, which recommends a targeted annual investment of 1.4% of the gross domestic product of countries. members aimed at “strengthening the resilience of health systems”. “The main investment, representing about half of it, should be devoted to the health workforce,” the document states.
In addition, the pandemic has brought to light the flaws in the global supply chain: several countries, including Canada, experienced for months, at the beginning of the health crisis, a crying shortage of masks, gloves and other personal protective equipment. This is why the OECD recommends that its member countries invest in “more resilient” supply chains, which depend on a diversity of suppliers, in order to be able to react to health crises in a more “effective” way from now on.
Countries should also collaborate more with each other in medical research, but also in the sharing of medical resources, the pandemic having shown shortcomings in this regard in the distribution of vaccines against COVID-19 on a global scale, notes the OECD.
“Reliable governance frameworks, enforceable engagement mechanisms and stable long-term funding would support the equitable distribution and use of essential commodities, such as personal protective equipment and vaccines, and global public goods, such as than surveillance,” the organization concludes.