Dear Activist,

Due to COVID-19’s toll on all of our lives, access to healthcare is emphasized throughout the world. Setting the pandemic aside, a 2017 World Health Organization and World Bank report states that at least half of the global population cannot obtain healthcare; the report claims that “800 million people spend at least 10% of their household budgets on healthcare expenses” for themselves or their families. These expenses cause approximately 100 million people to fall into extreme poverty.

According to the World Bank, there are wide gaps in the availability of services in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. Healthcare services, such as family planning, are becoming more accessible in other countries, however, families must pay for these services. In Eastern Asia, Latin America and Europe, a growing number of people are spending a portion of their household budgets on “out-of-pocket health expenses.”

Unfortunately, several countries have a limited health workforce to meet the needs of their population. The National Center for Biotechnology Information affirms that a lack of knowledge contributes to the healthcare shortage in several developing countries. Most medical practitioners do not have the education and skills to stop and treat preventable and fatal diseases. Additionally, when medical practitioners in developing countries become well-educated, they generally go to wealthier nations for better wages.

In order to tackle this issue, the UN General Assembly deemed December 12 as International Universal Health Coverage Day. The purpose of this day is to spread awareness of the need for secure health systems across borders. In September of 2019, world leaders instituted a declaration to attain Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030.

Spotlighting Seed Global Health

Seed Global Health (Seed), a social enterprise working towards accessible and quality healthcare for all, works across five countries and with governments in Sub-Saharan Africa. Co-founder and CEO, Vanessa Kerry, spoke about the organization’s upbringing, mission, and future with Dear Activist founder, Nika Tarkian.

Growing up in a family of public service, Kerry mentions that she was “exposed to the diversity of the world’s population and also the wide gaps in needs that people have.” Seeing the poverty and poor health that exists in parts of the world, she realized that she needed to get involved and close those gaps.

After attending medical school, Kerry worked in global health policy and clinically in Uganda and Rwanda. She mentions that she “continually saw people fly in and fly out to deliver medical care but not actually changing the places they worked long term.” At the same time, Kerry noticed that there is “huge energy and interest for medical professionals to help create better health.”

As health providers act as the foundation of responsive health systems, Kerry started Seed to “help harness that energy and put it to work to training physicians, nurses and midwives in countries of need and to help build local capacity.” Currently, 83 countries have critical shortages of health professionals, making Seed’s work especially necessary; Seed has trained almost 20,000 health professionals in six countries and cared for hundreds of thousands of patients.

By reinforcing clinical care delivery, advancing health education, and supporting policies that allow health professionals to prosper, Seed builds “complete health workforce teams that can provide high-quality care and save lives.” Through Kerry’s initiative, she not only tends to today’s issues but solves tomorrow’s problems. “We plant the seeds for brighter, healthier futures and transform ‘what if’ into ‘what is.'”

The Future of Seed Global Health

The COVID-19 pandemic only increases the need for providers and quality healthcare. Through training and bedside clinical mentorship, Seed reaches hundreds of thousands of patients across all of their programs. In response to the virus, Kerry urges others to “address the long simmering challenges that have always been deemed too large and too complex to address.” Rather than thinking short term, Seed will continue to work “comprehensively and boldly across sectors.”

Seed Global Health is consistent in believing that health is fundamental to our well being, our economy, our community, and global security. They believe “everyone regardless of background, resources, geography, race, gender or religion deserves access to quality care and the opportunity that can bring.”

Kerry states that she has “far to go to ensure the most vulnerable have access to quality health care.” Aiming to grow this work in Malawi, Uganda, Sierra Leone, and Zambia, the organization will continue to share the power of their model. Seed’s overarching hope is to “grow [their] own footprint but also pave the path forward for others to follow.”

Activate Change

As stated by Kerry, healthcare is a fundamental right in which everyone should have access. We have the opportunity to help others lead healthy and substantial lives; it is up to us to seek change and act on these disparities. Healthcare is essential to our well-being and success, and it has become a privilege rather than a right. Millions of people cannot obtain healthcare, and many are forced into poverty by paying for those expenses. The power to enact change lies upon us, and we must use that power in the most beneficial way possible.

• Educate others to improve health literacy and increase the number of people who take preventive healthcare measures.
• Read this World Health Organization (WHO) document that lists organizations that donate medical equipment and support them.
• Apply to be a Seed Educator! Click this link to view the requirements of an educator and apply next year.
• Donate online to Seed Global Health. You can make a one-time donation or plan recurring donations through their website.
• Spread awareness for this issue. Through social media or posters, you are capable of reaching a broader audience.
• Using the same WHO document, contact the heads of organizations to see how you can get involved and make change.

We cannot pass up this chance to generate change. To clarify, access to healthcare acts as the foundation of our well-being and global prosperity. We are the voice for those who are forced to retreat into silence. Our responsibility, as global citizens and an international community, is to better our systems and give equal opportunity. This consequential task is in our hands, however, it should not be taken lightly. We are capable of changing the world, and we are on our way to do so.

Cordially,

Nika Tarkian