Moving Towards Universal Health Coverage: Initiatives and Challenges
Moving towards Universal Health Coverage: Initiatives and Challenges
Submitted by
Mohammad Abdul Mannan
Abstract
Since the 2005 resolution of World Health Assembly, universal health coverage has been increasingly seen as a central plank in the articulation of new health-sector strategies in countries. Universal Health Coverage (UHC) as it is conceptualized today, ensures promotive, preventive, diagnostic and rehabilitative health services without financial hardship. UHC is one of the mechanisms of ensuring balanced development, where economic growth of a nation is accompanied by an increase in the health and well being of all persons. According to the International labour Organisation (ILO), nearly 50 countries have attained universal or near-universal coverage. The government of Bangladesh also aspires to achieve “health for all” through its Revitalized Primary Health Care initiative but it does not have a full-fledged UHC system as yet. Many of the world’s 1.3 billion people on very low incomes still do not have access to effective and affordable drugs, surgeries and other interventions because of weaknesses in the health financing system. Out-of-pocket payments create financial barriers that prevent millions of people each year from seeking and receiving needed health services. All countries have scope to raise more money for health domestically, provided governments and the people commit to doing so. World Health Report 2010 outlined three broad ways to do this, plus a fourth option for increasing development aid and making it work better for health. The world bank options are: 1) Increase the efficiency of revenue collection, 2) Reprioritize government budgets, 3) Innovative financing, 4) Development assistance for health. To achieve Universal Health Coverage long-term solution, flexible short-term responses are needed.
1. Introduction
Health systems are consistently inequitable, providing more and higher quality services to the
Submitted by
Mohammad Abdul Mannan
Abstract
Since the 2005 resolution of World Health Assembly, universal health coverage has been increasingly seen as a central plank in the articulation of new health-sector strategies in countries. Universal Health Coverage (UHC) as it is conceptualized today, ensures promotive, preventive, diagnostic and rehabilitative health services without financial hardship. UHC is one of the mechanisms of ensuring balanced development, where economic growth of a nation is accompanied by an increase in the health and well being of all persons. According to the International labour Organisation (ILO), nearly 50 countries have attained universal or near-universal coverage. The government of Bangladesh also aspires to achieve “health for all” through its Revitalized Primary Health Care initiative but it does not have a full-fledged UHC system as yet. Many of the world’s 1.3 billion people on very low incomes still do not have access to effective and affordable drugs, surgeries and other interventions because of weaknesses in the health financing system. Out-of-pocket payments create financial barriers that prevent millions of people each year from seeking and receiving needed health services. All countries have scope to raise more money for health domestically, provided governments and the people commit to doing so. World Health Report 2010 outlined three broad ways to do this, plus a fourth option for increasing development aid and making it work better for health. The world bank options are: 1) Increase the efficiency of revenue collection, 2) Reprioritize government budgets, 3) Innovative financing, 4) Development assistance for health. To achieve Universal Health Coverage long-term solution, flexible short-term responses are needed.
1. Introduction
Health systems are consistently inequitable, providing more and higher quality services to the
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