Policy Brief - Universal Health Coverage

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Policy Position - Universal Health Coverage

Access to high quality affordable healthcare should not be determined by one’s


socioeconomic status, education level, or country of residence. Every person in the
world should have an equal opportunity to receive health services that includes
prescription medications, preventive screenings, emergency care, etc. regardless of
their or their families’ ability to pay. Lives in lower and middle income countries have
equal value to the lives of citizens in more developed nations, therefore governments
need to act with urgency to create policies that reflect this belief. Families with
limited resources are faced with hard decisions such as delaying care or foregoing
care entirely due to lack of funds to pay doctors who only take cash payments.
Parents who work but may not have health insurance benefits are faced with the
same conundrum if they or their children fall ill. Unfortunate circumstances beyond
their control effects whether or not they receive potentially life saving medical care.
The status quo is simply unacceptable.

The Problem:

The World Health Organization reports at least half of the world’s population lacks
sufficient coverage for vital healthcare services. More than 800 million people
(approximately 12 percent of the world’s population) spend at least 10 percent of
their household income to pay for health care, according to WHO. The world spent an
astounding $7.3 trillion on healthcare, which represents close to 10 percent of global
Gross Domestic Product in 2015 alone. 1 In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs),
health insurance programs often cover only a small proportion of the population,
leaving the majority of residents without dependable health coverage. In the United
States, there is strong scientific evidence that lack of insurance leads to tens of
thousands of deaths every year. 2

About 100 million people fall into financial ruin because of healthcare expenditure,
said Rudiger Krech, World Health Organization director for health systems and
innovation. The findings released in Tracking Universal Health Coverage: 2017 Global
Monitoring Report revealed that large numbers of households are being pushed into
poverty each year because they must pay for health care out of pocket. For millions

1
“Universal Health Coverage (UHC)” http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/universal-health-
coverage-(uhc)
2
“Uninsured” http://www.pnhp.org/mortality
of people, these expenses are high enough to push them into extreme poverty,
causing them to live on just $1.90 or less a day. 3

The Solution: Universal Health Coverage

"It is completely unacceptable that half the world still lacks coverage for the most
essential health services. And it is unnecessary. A solution exists: universal health
coverage (UHC) allows everyone to obtain the health services they need, when and
where they need them, without facing financial hardship."- Dr Tedros Adhanom
Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO.4 According to the World Health Organization,
universal health coverage means that all people can use the promotive, preventive,
curative, rehabilitative and palliative health services they need, of sufficient quality
to be effective, while also ensuring that the use of these services does not expose the
user to financial hardship. 5

Barriers to the widespread adoption of Universal Health Coverage are financial


resources and political will. Finance is the primary reason health coverage isn’t
provided to all citizens, but some believe that every country, poor and rich alike, can
afford universal health coverage. 6 Lack of political will in a nation can be the
determining factor on whether progress is made in advancing UHC on the national
agenda. Universal health coverage tends to be intrinsically political and cannot be
achieved without recognition of its dependence on governance and politics. 7
Fortunately, a paradigm shift happening. As part of the Sustainable Development
Goals, all of the UN Member States have agreed to aim to achieve universal health
coverage by the year 2030. 8

It is our duty to humanity to ensure all people have the opportunity to achieve their
fullest health potential. The resources exist. The urgency is building. A paradigm shift
is palpable as the UN High Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage is approaching
on September 26, 2019. We must build on this momentum as we advocate for this

3 “WHO: Universal Health Coverage Saves People from Financial Ruin”


https://www.voanews.com/a/who-universal-health-coverage/4336668.html

4“World Bank and WHO: Half the world lacks access to essential health services, 100 million still pushed into
extreme poverty because of health expenses”
http://www.who.int/news-room/detail/13-12-2017-world-bank-and-who-half-the-world-lacks-access-to-essential-
health-services-100-million-still-pushed-into-extreme-poverty-because-of-health-expenses
5 “Universal Health Coverage (UHC)” http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/universal-health-coverage-

(uhc)
6 “WHO: Universal Health Coverage Saves People from Financial Ruin” https://www.voanews.com/a/who-universal-

health-coverage/4336668.html

7 “Universal Health Coverage: A Political Struggle and Governance Challenge”


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4627521/
8
“Universal Health Coverage” http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/universal-health-coverage-(uhc)
basic human right. It is up to us as world citizens to act on providing Universal Health
Coverage for all. The time is now.

12/2/2018

www.strategicpublichealth.com

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