health equity

Tuberculosis (TB) is the world’s leading infectious disease killer, claiming around 1.3 million lives in 2022 alone. TB is an airborne infectious disease caused by bacteria that primarily affects the lungs. As a disease that is strongly linked to the social and physical environments that surround people, TB disproportionately affects those living in poverty. The continued existence of TB shows just how persistent inequities are within global health. Even within Canada, TB is a concern among specific groups that are often marginalized, including Indigenous and newcomer communities.

Progress towards eradicating TB was severely disrupted by COVID-19 as national budgets, healthcare workers, and resources were redirected to address the pandemic. In fact, 2020 was the first year in over a decade in which TB deaths increased. While a significant global recovery in TB response was reported in 2022, we are still way off track to meet the global targets to eliminate this ancient disease.

Less than half of the financial need to address TB has been met in recent years. Inadequate funding for TB research and development, along with outdated treatment and diagnosis options, have hindered our chances of meeting the global 2030 target of ending TB. It has also caused a rise in drug-resistant TB - a significant issue that threatens to reverse decades of progress. Not only does drug-resistant TB result in longer and more dangerous treatment, but multidrug-resistant TB accounts for a third of all antimicrobial resistance-related deaths globally.

Now more than ever, people affected by TB need solutions. To stop the spread of disease, prevent a surge of drug-resistance, avoid preventable deaths, and prepare for future infectious disease threats, people with TB need to be reached with TB diagnosis, treatment and care – regardless of where they live.

Since 2000, child mortality has decreased by 59 per cent, largely thanks to life-saving Interventions like vaccinations and good nutrition. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has reversed years of progress through increased pressure on healthcare systems and on the workers who support them. Despite efforts to recover, 20.5 million children missed out on basic childhood vaccines in 2022, over 14 million received no vaccines at all. Additionally, nearly half of all deaths in young children can be attributed to malnutrition.   

Although scientific advances allow us to understand better than ever how to end preventable child deaths, a combination of factors keeps these innovations out of reach of those who need them the most. Conflict and emergencies, limited access to affordable and quality health care, and lack of access to clean water and sanitation all contribute to this phenomenon. The world is also facing an unprecedented malnutrition crisis that threatens children’s health. Last year, among children under five, an estimated 148.1 million (22.3%) were stunted (too short for their age), and 45 million (6.8%) were wasted (don’t weigh enough for their height). Stunting and wasting can lead to irreversible physical and cognitive consequences, which limit learning abilities and weaken the immune system.  

There is an urgent need to increase access to life-saving innovations and protect the health of children and the gains made over the last decades. The world must step up its investments in immunization and nutrition, create a foundation for health and development, and contribute to a positive cycle that lifts individuals, communities, and nations out of poverty.   

As the struggle for gender equality continues, much more needs to be done to ensure that women and girls have access to the health services they need to live in dignity and thrive. Every two minutes, one woman dies from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. According to recent estimates, Sub-Saharan Africa alone accounts for 70% of all maternal deaths, while Central and Southern Asia, accounts for almost 17%.   

Additionally, 270 million women of reproductive age are unable to access contraception and one in three women experiences physical or sexual violence in her lifetime. A woman's agency over her decision to have children can be restricted by lack of access to appropriate contraception, misinformation, gender inequality, and poverty. And the consequences are dire. Nearly half of all pregnancies are unwanted - that is, 121 million a year. 45% of the resulting abortions are carried out using risky methods or in hazardous conditions, making unsafe abortion one of the leading causes of maternal mortality.