Rethinking public health

As the entire humanity reels under the pandemic impact an important question crops up. Do we give public health the same kind of priority that Defence gets? In all probability, no. The global obsession with war preparedness is rather an ancient phenomenon that indicates our insecurity and inclination to be ready to repel any attack from an enemy known or unknown. Even a cursory review of human history since the ancient times would reveal that wars have killed millions causing wide spread devastation. The economic, social and psychological costs of war have been huge in enormity and wide in scale. But, so also have proved the epidemics, in their impact on human history. If we take into account the disruption and death caused by epidemics it could be more than what wars have done. Why, then, have the epidemics been not accorded the same priority that wars get? Why our preparedness against epidemics does not reflect the same degree of concern? These questions may not be easy to answer as many would compare the budgets that are earmarked for defence and health. It is true that on this count many nations do show a tilt in favour of health. Nonetheless, there are some nations who are found wanting on this count as they put more money for defence than public health. But that, notwithstanding, budgetary allocation as a percentage of health is not the issue. That epidemics strike and disrupt irrespective of budgets is just one side of the story. The other and more important one is that preparedness is much more than mere allocation of funds. How much effort and planning goes in defence and how much in health is what makes the difference. So, despite allocating much more budget for health than defence, the US was in no less precarious position than Saudi Arabia and several others that had marked more funds for defence. This is the issue that needs to be resolved. But before that one important assertion. In many cases war and epidemic connection can also be seen if we take a closer look at many past major epidemics. Of course, there may be a few other variables, too, that would need to be examined, but some moderate degree of correlation can be found. The other significant pointer is the fact that epidemics have played more havoc at commercial hubs. All these factors need to be examined by the big data analysts who are busy finding out how many are going to die, when and where. To begin with the first lesson that governments all over the globe have to learn is that like equipping military to defend the borders, they need to equip the doctors and nurses to defend public health. Had there been a well oiled health machinery and a battle ready health army, many decisions that proved costly and painful could have been avoided. There is one more requirement. We must revive the idea of barefoot doctors, the concept that proved useful in the past but went out of practice. The paramedical personnel is a medically trained force, like the para military forces, that must be reared and trained for such exigencies. Nevertheless, this is not the last time that a pandemic has struck nations. Let good sense prevail so that we not only learn but practice the age old lesson that prevention is better than cure. And much less costly. Health is wealth, literally.