World Health Day 2018: Universal health coverage: everyone, everywhere

March 2018 – This year, the theme of World Health Day is ‘Universal health coverage: everyone, everywhere’ under the slogan ‘Health for All’. Access to universal health coverage can prevent people from being pushed into poverty because they are forced to pay for the costs of their health care. Without universal coverage, the lives and welfare of millions of people and communities around the world are negatively affected, particularly in low-income countries. Universal health coverage increases people’s opportunity to work and earn a living, increases children’s chances of reaching their full academic potential and forms the basis for long term economic development. WHO is founded on the principle that it is the right of everyone to enjoy the highest attainable standard of health.  However, almost 100 million people are being pushed into extreme poverty, forced to survive on just US$ 1.90 or less a day, because they have to pay for health services out of their own pockets.  In the Eastern Mediterranean Region, 40% of health expenditure comes directly from people’s pockets; people on low incomes and without social protection are the hardest hit. As many as 55.5 million people across the Region face financial hardship as a result of out-of-pocket health expenditure; and as many as 7.7 million are pushed into poverty due to these costs. In some countries of the Region, out-of-pocket payments for health services account for over 70% of total national spending...
Source: WHO EMRO News - Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news