The Substance and Politics of US Health Reform: A Primer for the Rest of the World
Tomorrow, October 1st 2013, is the day that a number of provisions of US healthcare reform go into effect. Tomorrow is also the day that the US government might come to a grinding halt, because opponents of health reform would rather shut down key government services than see health reforms implemented.
Many of my health expert friends outside the US have told me that they are trying to understand how the US health system currently works, what the Affordable Care Act--now commonly known as Obamacare--will do to fix its glaring problems, and why the reform is so controversial. The following “primer” attempts to explain the often perplexing substance and politics of US health reform.
The Week in Headlines
UHC Forward's weekly roundup of headlines from around the globe
Week of September 16, 2013 - Governments around the world are engaging in serious political and technical discussions on how to expand health coverage. Still others are considering such reforms, but are struggling to navigate the legal, financial, and political frameworks of their countries to determine the best path towards universal health coverage (UHC).
Below is a list of UHC-related headlines from around the world. If you are viewing this on the web and would prefer to receive The Week in Headlines in your inbox every week, subscribe to the email edition.
COUNTRY HEADLINES
Ghana
10th Anniversary of the NHIS: A decade ago, following series of pilots in selected districts, the National Health Insurance Act, 2003 (Act 650) was passed by Parliament into law. The scheme has since grown to become a major instrument of financing healthcare delivery in Ghana.
Community health workers can accelerate progress towards universal health coverage in sub-Saharan Africa
In January this year, a team of doctors, community health workers (CHWs), and volunteers took part in medical outreach in poor neighbourhoods in Lagos, Nigeria. The CHWs helped to mobilize the people, provided basic health education, and screened participants for diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Almost a quarter of participants had either diabetes mellitus or hypertension. One out of ten needed urgent medical attention; they were referred to nearby general hospital for further care. It was a rewarding experience for me to see how much CHWs can contribute in taking health care to the doorsteps of those who need it most but could not afford it.
Poverty is predominantly a rural phenomenon in sub-Saharan Africa, where more than 60% of the population lives in rural areas. The cost of illness drives many people to deeper levels of poverty. More than 200 million people live in extreme poverty in the region and are in dire need of affordable quality health services.
Addressing health inequities through Universal Health Coverage
Addressing inequities in access to quality needed care and financial risk protection must be a first priority in efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC). We have the opportunity to drive countries to implement equitable pathways towards UHC by including appropriate targets and metrics in the post-2015 development framework. These are the main messages of Universal Health Coverage: A commitment to close the gap - a joint report launched this month by Save the Children, the Rockefeller Foundation, UNICEF and WHO. Research commissioned for the report includes a structured literature review, a Lives Saved Tool (LiST) analysis, an econometric analysis and key informant interviews.
Prioritising equity in pathways towards UHC is not just the right thing to do from a moral perspective, but it also brings value for money.
The Week in Headlines
UHC Forward's weekly roundup of headlines from around the globe
Week of September 9, 2013 - Governments around the world are engaging in serious political and technical discussions on how to expand health coverage. Still others are considering such reforms, but are struggling to navigate the legal, financial, and political frameworks of their countries to determine the best path towards universal health coverage (UHC).
Below is a list of UHC-related headlines from around the world. If you are viewing this on the web and would prefer to receive The Week in Headlines in your inbox every week, subscribe to the email edition.
COUNTRY HEADLINES
China
[Universal Rural Health Care in China?
The Week in Headlines
UHC Forward's Weekly Roundup of Headlines from Around the Globe
Week of September 2, 2013 - Governments around the world are engaging in serious political and technical discussions on how to expand health coverage. Still others are considering such reforms, but are struggling to navigate the legal, financial, and political frameworks of their countries to determine the best path towards universal health coverage (UHC).
Below is a list of UHC-related headlines from around the world.
The Week in Headlines
UHC Forward's Weekly Roundup of Headlines from Around the Globe
Week of August 26, 2013 - Governments around the world are engaging in serious political and technical discussions on how to expand health coverage. Still others are considering such reforms, but are struggling to navigate the legal, financial, and political frameworks of their countries to determine the best path towards universal health coverage (UHC).
Below is a list of UHC-related headlines from around the world.
The Week in Headlines
UHC Forward's Weekly Roundup of Headlines from Around the Globe
Week of August 19, 2013 - Governments around the world are engaging in serious political and technical discussions on how to expand health coverage. Still others are considering such reforms, but are struggling to navigate the legal, financial, and political frameworks of their countries to determine the best path towards universal health coverage (UHC).
Below is a list of UHC-related headlines from around the world.
Launch of the World Health Report 2013: Research for universal health coverage
Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) released the 2013 World Health Report on research for universal health coverage. The report calls on countries to invest in local research to develop universal health coverage system tailored to each individual situation.
Below is a speech given by Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization, at the launch of the World Health Report 2013 in Beijing, China on August 15, 2013.
Questions and answers on Universal Health Coverage...and some more comments and open questions
This blog is cross-posted with permission from the Medicus Mundi International Network.
Like many other actors in global health, the Medicus Mundi International Network (MMI) is overwhelmed by the attention given to the concept of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the last two years, mainly by the World Health Organization and related to the debate on health in the post-2015 development agenda.