Global Policies Expand Universal Health Coverage to Include Comprehensive Care
Geneva, Monday, 16 December 2024.
New global policies aim to integrate prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care into universal health coverage, promoting sustainable and equitable healthcare delivery systems worldwide.
Current State of Global Healthcare Access
The current landscape of global healthcare presents significant challenges, with 4.5 billion people lacking access to basic health services and 2 billion facing financial hardship from healthcare costs [2]. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set an ambitious target to benefit an additional 1 billion people with universal health coverage (UHC) by 2025 [1]. Despite these goals, progress has stalled globally, with increasing out-of-pocket health spending causing catastrophic expenses for more populations [1][2].
Financial Challenges and Government Response
Recent data from WHO’s 2024 Global Health Expenditure Report reveals concerning trends in healthcare financing. Government health spending has declined across all income groups in 2022, following the initial surge during the COVID-19 pandemic [2]. This decline is particularly alarming in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, where 1 in 8 people face financial hardship by spending over 10% of their resources on essential healthcare [5]. The situation has pushed approximately 381 million people into extreme poverty due to out-of-pocket health payments [3].
Strategic Initiatives and International Collaboration
In response to these challenges, significant international cooperation is emerging. The International Labour Organization (ILO) and WHO are collaborating to improve health equity and well-being, particularly focusing on the informal economy [4]. This partnership aims to strengthen the connection between SDG target 1.3 on universal social protection and SDG target 3.8 on universal health coverage [4]. Progress is evident in some areas, with 146 out of 200 countries either meeting or on track to meet SDG targets for under-5 mortality [3].
Regional Implementation and Future Outlook
Regional initiatives are showing promising developments, particularly in the Western Pacific Region. Here, innovative approaches are being implemented to address the needs of approximately 385 million people facing catastrophic health expenses [6]. The WHO emphasizes that investing in UHC not only improves health outcomes but also strengthens social cohesion, resilience, and national economies [5]. Countries are being urged to prioritize UHC in national budgets and implement protective laws against catastrophic health expenditure by 2030 [5].