Page 80 - WEF Reoprt 2020

REUTERS/EMMANUEL FOUDROT

resistance—which often stems in part
from a perception that investments in polio
eradication come at the expense of other 33 years
health priorities. Letting up is not an option
11
because the short- and long-term benefits
of eradicating this enduring scourge would widest gap in life expectancy
be massive.
between countries
Similar stories can be told about HIV/AIDS,
tuberculosis and malaria. After years of
remarkable progress as a result of sustained
political commitment and funding via also recently saw the world’s largest
the Global Fund, ambitions to end these measles outbreak, affecting over 200,000
epidemics by 2030 are being undermined people in less than a year. The resurgence
16
by factors such as diseases’ increasing of measles is a symptom of complacency
resistance to drugs. 12 and recklessness.

Vaccine hesitancy. The World Health Antimicrobial resistance (AMR). As
Organization (WHO) considers reluctance or measles and other infectious diseases
refusal to vaccinate to be among the top 10 strain health systems by siphoning off
threats to global health. Growing vaccine limited resources and attention, overuse of
13
hesitancy has led to outbreaks of measles antibiotics poses a direct threat to health
worldwide, including in developed countries and healthcare. AMR makes antibiotics
where it had largely been eliminated. less effective at treating illnesses. Surgeries
14
New York City spent US$6 million in 2019 that have become routine, infections we
responding to a completely preventable now think of as easily treatable, and some
measles outbreak. Making fewer headlines common illnesses could again become life-
15
than the massive Ebola outbreak in the threatening. The WHO estimates that AMR
17
Democratic Republic of Congo, that country could result in 10 million deaths by 2050. 18

The Global Risks Report 2020 75