UN urges measures to ensure affordable health services

 New York, 23 Nov-(ANA)-The United Nations health agency has urged countries to raise more funds and spend more efficiently, to ensure that

everyone who needs health care can access it despite rising costs.

 In its annual report, the World Health Organization (WHO) notes that Governments worldwide are struggling to pay for health care, which is rising as populations get older, as more people suffer chronic diseases, and as new and more expensive treatments appear.

 It says that in countries that depend heavily on people paying directly for services at the point of delivery, health bills push 100 million people into

poverty each year.

 “No one in need of health care should have to risk financial ruin as a result,” said WHO Director General Margaret Chan.

 WHO also cites the role of the international community, noting that if all donors joined Norway and others that have kept their promise to allocate 0.7 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) to official development assistance, three million additional lives could be saved in lower-income countries by 2015.

 The report highlights the model used by countries such as Japan, Chile, Rwanda and Thailand, which have reduced dependence on direct, out-of-pocket payments and increasing prepayment – generally through insurance or taxes or a mix of the two. The funds raised are then pooled so that it is not just those who get sick that bear the financial burden. (ANA)

FA/ANA/23 November 2010-------