Top 10 Public Health Challenges in 2022

Public health experts and researchers collected data, and assembled this list of top global public health priorities in 2022:

10) Infodemic: Fake news and misinformation during outbreaks can be deadly, leading to dangerous medical mistreatment.

9) Reproductive health: Teenage pregnancy increased during the pandemic due to lockdowns - during which there was limited access to reproductive health services, especially in developing countries.

8) Child health: During lockdowns, school closures negatively impacted children's mental health, as they were deprived of play and social interactions, and had to quickly adapt to new learning technologies. Additionally, 22.7 million children missed their routine immunizations.

7) Climate change: The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that death, illnesses, food system disruptions, disease spread, and displacement are all effects of climate change. Additionally, they disproportionately affect countries that contribute to climate change the least.

6) Poverty: The pandemic forced at least 100 million people into extreme poverty. Governments lacked social safety nets, and financial support was often insufficient. The WHO and World Bank report that COVID-19 has halted progress in addressing poverty and healthcare access.

5) Mental health: Prior to the pandemic, mental health conditions were already on the rise. Since March of 2020, mental health globally has suffered, as fear, anxiety, and depression are on the rise. Universally, mental health services are in increasingly high demand.

4) Conflicts and humanitarian crises: Political upheaval, poor pandemic management, and limited funding for the United Nations contributed to global conflicts. The International Rescue Committee reported that in 20 countries, nearly 90% of the population is in dire need of aid.

3) Financing for health: Many countries had to take out loans and employ various financing mechanisms in 2020 to deal with the pandemic, including buying personal protective equipment and vaccines. This severely exhausted fund reserves which strained health systems globally.

2) Human resources for health: There is a global shortage of health workers, as many have left the field and over 80,000 have died from COVID-19. Based on need, there is a 17.4 million worker deficit that is predicted to grow to 18 million by 2030.

1) COVID-19: COVID-19 remains a significant health challenge as efforts focus on controlling the spread, herd immunity, and preventing damage to vulnerable populations while balancing the economy and travel. Health equity is essential to prevent new variants from spreading.