2022 has been turbulent in many ways, especially in the economic and health area, where the Covid-19 pandemic continues to be present in all countries. Waiting for what the opening of borders in China can meanexperts do not know what consequences this may have due to the little or no information provided by the Chinese government, researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) of the University of Washington (USA) warn of a series of most critical health issues to watch out for in 2023.
Covid is persistent
Persistent covid is a health problem to take into account in 2023. The health impact of infection by this disease interrupts a person’s ability to incorporate into their normal life and interferes with their relationships for months.
“People with persistent Covid need adequate diagnostic and rehabilitative support from primary care physicians. We desperately need more research to find effective treatments, as well as preventative measures to reduce the risk of developing this situation,” says Sarah Wulf Hanson, an expert in the field of persistent Covid.
Mental health
Mental disorders are one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, with no evidence of a decline in this burden since 1990. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, putin’s war have had a great impact on mental health, so their approach is a priority. Nations need to understand how these unexpected events have impacted the prevalence and burden of mental disorders after 2022 in order to adapt their health response.
People with persistent Covid need adequate diagnostic and rehabilitative support from primary care physicians
“We investigated child sexual abuse, intimate partner violence, and bullying victimization as risk factors for mental disorders. In the future, we need a better understanding of the other risk factors for mental disorders, how they vary among different populations, and how to offer the best opportunities for prevention at the population level,” says researcher Alize Ferrari.
Impact of climate change on health
Although there are still people who do not believe in climate change, the evidence shows that it is already affecting the health of millions of people around the world. But most worrisome is that climate change will worsen throughout this century. People experience both the direct effects of extreme heat and a myriad of indirect effects. Floods can force millions of people to leave their homes and affect their mental health, droughts and storms can affect food security and water availability, and episodes of forest fires can increase air pollution. As is known from the pandemic, preparation is key and we are far from prepared for the health impacts of a warmer climate.
Air pollution is one of the main global risk factors and is currently responsible for approximately 8% of all global mortality.
“The greatest emphasis to date on climate change, and rightly so, has been placed on what we call mitigation: reducing the emissions that lead to global warming. However, to date, these efforts have been far too restrained. We are in a situation where climate change is a given, and much more attention needs to be paid to minimizing the impacts on global health through adaptation or enhancing resilience,” warns researcher Michael Brauer.
Brauer adds that work must be done to improve the general health and socioeconomic development of certain populations, because we know that those who are most vulnerable will suffer the most.
“Air pollution is one of the main global risk factors and currently responsible for approximately 8% of all global mortality; however, it is a problem with known solutions.”
Dementias & Alzheimer’s
Due to the increasing aging of the population, a large increase in the number of people affected by dementia is expected worldwide. To adequately care for people with dementia, proper planning of the necessary supports and services is needed. “Interventions that target modifiable risk factors, such as low education, smoking, and high blood sugar, have the potential to reduce the overall societal burden and should be prioritised,” says Emma Nichols, lead author of a “The Lancet Public Health” paper on dementia prognosis. Health systems therefore need to adapt to meet the needs of older populations, something that should be a priority in 2023.
cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular diseases, such as ischemic heart disease and stroke, are the leading causes of death worldwide, accounting for 28% of all deaths in 2021. Furthermore, they contribute substantially to the loss of health and the economic burden of healthcare systems. Most cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by addressing modifiable cardiovascular risk factorssuch as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, dietary risks, smoking and air pollution.
Flu & bronchiolitis
Following the Covid.19 pandemic, still very present, Lower respiratory tract infections, especially respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza, made a strong resurgence at the end of 2021, and are expected to become a serious problem of health to take into account in 2023.
Measures to control SASR-CoV-2, face masks and social distancing, brought an overall decrease in influenza and bronchiolitis infections in 2020. With the relaxation of these measures, many young children who have not been exposed to RSV in the last two years are getting infected. There has also been an uptick in flu cases at all ages.
“After experiencing significant disruptions to healthcare systems around the world due to the Covid-19 pandemic, increases in respiratory infections and other communicable diseases have added to the existing burden of chronic noncommunicable diseases, creating a double burden of disease exacerbated by social conditions, inequalities observed worldwide”, warns IHME researcher Cristian Razo.
The role of poverty in health
“It seems that poverty is the mother of health inequality. The unequal distribution of resources has widened due to climate change and increased violence. Low- and middle-income countries experience worse health outcomes than high-income countries: life expectancy is 34 years less, mortality in children under 5 years of age is around 100 times higher, deaths from interpersonal violence and suicide are 30 times higher and deaths attributable to antimicrobial resistance are 12 times higher. We must urgently address the impact of poverty on health, life and death, “warns Mohsen Naghavi.
Strengthen health systems
Strengthening health systems globally remains a critical aspect of what is needed for resilient health systems. This will be particularly relevant as countries redirect their resources and attention after the acute phase of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Public health leaders need to reflect on the lessons learned from the pandemic to prevent the collapse of the health care system in the next crisis and ensure that people in need of care can access quality health care,” says Sarah Wulf Hanson. .
Diabetes
«Diabetes is the fourth leading cause of disability-adjusted life years lost in Latin America and the Caribbeanand among the five main causes, it is the only one that shows an increase compared to 1990. The burden of diabetes in the Americas is large, growing, heterogeneous and expanding, especially in the countries of Central Latin America and the Caribbean.
Traffic accidents
Injuries caused by traffic accidents continue to be a major and preventable cause of injury. For people ages 15 to 49, traffic accidents are the leading cause of death. According to the DGT, in 2022 1,097 people died from this cause in Spain.