The report titled Global Expenditure on Health: Out of the Pandemicshows a reduction in public health expenditure per per capita in 2022 across all income groups, following an increase in the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This concerning trend undermines progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC), a goal enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the agency said.
This year, Universal Health Coverage Day underscores the urgent need for governments to prioritize financial protection that ensures access to essential health services for all without risking financial hardship.
A global health emergency
The statistics are stark: 4.5 billion people worldwide lack access to basic health services and 2 billion experience financial hardship due to health costs.
For many, the high cost of medical care makes impossible choices between vital treatments and necessities such as food and housing.
These challenges disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including women, children and youth, who face the greatest barriers to accessing health care.
“Although access to health services has improved globally, the use of these services is driving more and more people into economic hardship or poverty,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
“Universal Health Coverage Day is a reminder of that health for all means that everyone can access the health services they need without financial hardship” he added.
The cost of inaction
Reduced public health investment can have far-reaching consequences.
Without adequate funding, health systems falter, leaving populations vulnerable in both their routine health needs and crises.
The COVID-19 pandemic shed light on the link between UHC and health security and underscored the need for robust health systems that protect everyone, everywhere.
Investing in health is not just a moral imperative, but an economic one.
Access to affordable health care improves workforce participation, increases productivity and promotes social cohesion.
On the contrary, when health care costs force people into poverty, the economic repercussions can be devastating.
UHC Day 2024: A call to action
Since the UN General Assembly’s endorsement of UHC in 2012, global leaders have reaffirmed their commitments in several declarations. Yet economic protection has deteriorated over the past two decades.
This Universal Health Coverage Day, advocates call on governments to meet their commitments by prioritizing health funding in national budgets.
The 2024 UHC Day theme, “Health: It’s on Government”, emphasizes the role of governments in ensuring equitable and affordable health care for all.
Advocates call on leaders to protect the poorest and most vulnerable from crippling health care costs and ensure no one has to choose between health care and basic needs.
