Tedros spoke on Thursday at a press conference in Geneva and said that in about 25 percent of countries some health facilities have had to close completely due to cuts, according to figures from more than 100 countries prepared by WHO.
Serious disturbances
Outside the pocket payments for healthcare have led to disruptions in the supply of medicine and other health products as well as increasing job losses in the health sector.
As a result, “Countries are revised budgets, cuts of costs and strengthening fundraising and partnerships,” the UN Health Agency Manager said.
From aid to confidence
After revising budgets, reducing costs and strengthening partnerships and fundraising, some countries rely on who supports the transition from assistance dependence on sustainable confidence.
“We are now supporting countries to accelerate this transition“Tedros said, referring to examples of countries such as South Africa and Kenya, who successfully work to avert the health effects of sudden and unplanned cuts.
Who recommendations
Tedros gave countries more recommendations on ways to mitigate financing cuts:
- The world’s poorest populations need prioritization by limiting their exposure to expenses to pocket
- Withstand reductions in expenditure on public health and protect health budgets
- Channel Funds through national budgets rather than parallel donation systems
- Avoid cutting services or closing facilities, and absorbing as much of the impact as possible through efficiency gains in the health system
New sources of income
Through short and long -term tools that also encourage countries to generate new sources of income.
Immediate measures such as the introduction of or rising taxes on products that damage public health are another effective tool for maintaining health costs, he added.
Countries such as Colombia and Gambia, which in recent years have introduced such taxes, have seen revenue rising and consumption fall, Tedros said.
In the longer term that advocates social and socially -based health insurance policies, where individuals or families can contribute a small amount to a fund that increases the financing of the health care system.
Although not all measures will be right for each country that “works with affected countries to identify which measures are best for them and to tailor these measures accordingly.”
