Immediate Past President of the World Medical Association (WMA), Dr. Osahon Enabulele, has called for ethical governance of health systems as part of his suggested strategies to promote global health.
Dr. Enabulele made the call while speaking as an International Guest Speaker on Ethical Governance and Global Health at the 2024 Conference of the South African Medical Association (SAMA) held at Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa on Saturday, February 17, 2024.
While defining what Ethical Governance entails, Dr. Enabulele cited numerous challenges with ethical questions facing health systems and global health.
Among them, he noted, were the new and emerging technologies, and the widening health disparities in the face of constricting resources as imperatives for effective and efficient deployment of ethical governance principles.
He applauded the World Medical Association for its leadership in ethical governance of health systems and called on leaders of health systems to leverage on the ethical policy documents of the WMA.
Dr. Enabulele cited such documents to include the WMA Declaration of Helsinki, the WMA Declaration of Taipei, the International Code of Medical Ethics, the WMA Declaration of Berlin on Racism in Medicine, and the WMA Declaration of Oslo on the Social Determinants of Health, amongst others.
Continuing, Dr. Enabulele advanced the need for institutionalization of a culture of ethical governance in the governance of health systems, and governance in general. He also called on leaders at all levels to move from mere declarations to expressing greater commitment to ethical governance and its processes.
His words: “leaders of health systems at all levels must be ethically conscious and selected on the basis of merit, their knowledge of ethical governance principles, and capacity for ethical governance of health systems.”
The former WMA boss also called for more concrete address of the social determinants of health, creation of more enabling and secure working conditions and workplace environments, better integration of citizens and Civil Society Organizations in the governance of health systems, and emplacement of better regulatory frameworks and regulatory oversight.
The 2024 SAMA Conference was attended by several participants, including the South African Minister of Health, Dr Mathume Joe Phaahla, other dignitaries and International Guests, industry players, Physicians and other health professionals.
