Miklós Szócska sees risk sharing as a vital tool in preparing for global pandemics and boosting the resources of the World Health Organization.
The Hungarian candidate for the WHO director-general race has used the concept before. During his time as health minister, Szócska introduced a public health product tax on food and beverages with high salt and sugar contents. The initiative generated funds that helped finance the salaries of doctors and nurses, lowering rates of health worker emigration.
A similar idea can be applied for the WHO, he tells Devex, with the money raised going to a global risk sharing fund that would build the health systems of countries where there’s poor to nonexistent health services.