The report, titled Global health spending: emerging from the pandemicshows a reduction in per capita government health spending in 2022 across all income groups, following an increase during the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This worrying 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 emphasizes the urgent need for governments to prioritize financial protection, ensuring access to essential health services for all without risking financial hardship.
A global health emergency
The statistics are stark: 4.5 billion people around the world lack access to basic health services and 2 billion experience financial hardship due to the costs of healthcare.
For many, the high price of health care presents impossible choices between life-saving treatments and necessities like food and shelter.
These challenges disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including women, children and adolescents, who face the greatest barriers to accessing health care.
“While access to health services has improved globally, the use of these services is driving more and more people into financial hardship or poverty,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
“Universal Health Coverage Day is a reminder that Health for all means that everyone can access the health services they need, without financial difficulties.”he added.
The cost of inaction
Reducing government investments in health can have far-reaching consequences.
Without sufficient funding, health systems falter, leaving populations vulnerable both in their regular health needs and in crises.
The COVID-19 pandemic shed light on the connection between universal health coverage and health security, underscoring the need for resilient health systems that protect everyone, everywhere.
Investing in health is not only a moral but an economic imperative.
Access to affordable healthcare improves workforce participation, increases productivity, and fosters social cohesion.
Conversely, when health care costs push people into poverty, the economic knock-on effects can be devastating.
UHC Day 2024: a call to action
Since the United Nations General Assembly approved universal health coverage in 2012, world leaders have reaffirmed their commitments in multiple statements. However, financial protection has worsened over the past two decades.
On this Universal Health Coverage Day, advocates are urging governments to deliver on their commitments by prioritizing health financing in national budgets.
The 2024 CSU Day theme, “Health: It's Up to Government,” highlights the role of governments in ensuring equitable and affordable healthcare for all.
Advocates are calling on leaders to protect the poorest and most vulnerable from impoverishing health costs and ensure no one has to choose between health care and basic needs.
