scholarly journals ‘Connecting the dots’ for generating a momentum for Universal Health Coverage in Bangladesh: findings from a cross-sectional descriptive study

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. e024509
Author(s):  
Syed Masud Ahmed ◽  
Lal B Rawal ◽  
Nahitun Naher ◽  
Tarek Hossain
Keyword(s):  
Health Systems ◽  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Low Resource ◽  
Entry Points ◽  
The Government ◽  
Universal Health

ObjectiveThis study was conducted to explore how and whether, the strategic grants made by the Rockefeller Foundation (RF) in different sectors of health systems in the inception phase were able to ‘connect the dots’ for ‘generating a momentum for Universal Health Coverage (UHC)’ in the country.DesignCross-sectional descriptive study, using document review and qualitative methods.SettingBangladesh, 17 UHC-related projects funded by the RF Transforming Health Systems (THS) initiative during 2010–2013.DataAvailable reports of the completed and on-going UHC projects, policy documents of the government relevant to UHC, key-informant interviews and feedback from grant recipients and relevant stakeholders in the policy and practice.Outcome measuresKey policy initiatives undertaken for implementing UHC activities by the government post grants disbursement.ResultsThe RF THS grants simultaneously targeted and connected the academia, the public and non-profit development sectors and news media for awareness-building and advocacy on UHC, develop relevant policies and capacity for implementation including evidence generation. This strategy helped relevant stakeholders to come together to discuss and debate the core concepts, scopes and modalities of UHC in an attempt to reach a consensus. Additionally, experiences gained from implementation of the pilot projects helped in identifying possible entry points for initiating UHC activities in a low resource setting like Bangladesh.ConclusionsDuring early years of UHC-related activities in Bangladesh, strategic investments of the RF THS initiative played a catalytic role in sensitising and mobilising different constituencies for concerted activities and undertaking necessary first steps. Learnings from this strategy may be of help to countries under similar conditions of ‘low resource, apparent commitment, but poor governance,’ on their journey towards UHC.

scholarly journals Universal Health Coverage- A Case Study of Indian Healthcare System during COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Rashika Nandwani
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare System ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Health Systems Strengthening ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
The World ◽  
The Government ◽  
Universal Health

Aim: The main purpose of this paper is to look at the Indian healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic and how COVID-19 acts as barrier and also presents some opportunities towards the road of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Background: COVID-19 has exposed the vulnerability of health systems across the world and India is no exception. The World Health Organization (WHO) has kept the definition of UHC very flexible and has left on the country which is implementing it as to how much of the population and which services should be included in the scheme.  Discussion: India already has a unique flagship program Ayushman Bharat where it is trying to cover her most vulnerable population against catastrophic expenditure of health. This paper further investigates the progress of India towards UHC and how COVID-19 is acting as an impediment for India to progress towards it. On the other hand, it also poses some opportunities which had not been explored in the past. Health Systems Strengthening is the path towards the achievement of UHC and due to COVID-19, India has touched upon all the six building blocks which are needed to strengthen our system towards the achievement of UHC. Recommendations and Conclusion: It recommends that Indian system should be more proactive than reactive; it also suggests following a systems-based approach and to not target the problem in silos. It also suggests increasing the government funding as well as establishment of proper public health cadre. To conclude, this paper also suggests that the government should include outpatient expenses into their scheme, and they should also concentrate towards building adequate infrastructure in order to face future pandemics like COVID-19.

scholarly journals 20.F. Workshop: Dental care – coverage and access across countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
North America ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
Dental Care ◽  
Financial Protection ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Universal Health

Abstract Oral health is a central element of general health with significant impact in terms of pain, suffering, impairment of function and reduced quality of life. Although most oral disease can be prevented by health promotion strategies and routine access to primary oral health care, the GBD study 2017 estimated that oral diseases affect over 3.5 billion people worldwide (Watt et al, 2019). Given the importance of oral health and its potential contribution to achieving universal health coverage (UHC), it has received increased attention in public health debates in recent years. However, little is known about the large variations across countries in terms of service delivery, coverage and financing of oral health. There is a lack of international comparison and understanding of who delivers oral health services, how much is devoted to oral health care and who funds the costs for which type of treatment (Eaton et al., 2019). Yet, these aspects are central for understanding the scope for improvement regarding financial protection against costs of dental care and equal access to services in each country. This workshop aims to present the comparative research on dental care coverage in Europe, North America and Australia led by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. Three presentations will look at dental care coverage using different methods and approaches. They will compare how well the population is covered for dental care especially within Europe and North America considering the health systems design and expenditure level on dental care, using the WHO coverage cube as analytical framework. The first presentation shows results of a cross-country Health Systems in Transition (HiT) review on dental care. It provides a comparative review and analysis of financing, coverage and access in 31 European countries, describing the main trends also in the provision of dental care. The second presentation compares dental care coverage in eight jurisdictions (Australia (New South Wales), Canada (Alberta), England, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and the United States) with a particular focus on older adults. The third presentation uses a vignette approach to map the extent of coverage of dental services offered by statutory systems (social insurance, compulsory insurance, NHS) in selected countries in Europe and North America. This workshop provides the opportunity of a focussed discussion on coverage of dental care, which is often neglected in the discussion on access to health services and universal health coverage. The objectives of the workshop are to discuss the oral health systems in an international comparative setting and to draw lessons on best practices and coverage design. The World Conference on Public Health is hence a good opportunity for this workshop that contributes to frame the discussion on oral health systems in a global perspective. Key messages There is large degree of variation in the extent to which the costs of dental care are covered by the statutory systems worldwide with implications for oral health outcomes and financial protection. There is a need for a more systematic collection of oral health indicators to make analysis of reliable and comparable oral health data possible.

scholarly journals Strengthening health systems for universal health coverage and sustainable development

2017 ◽  
Vol 95 (7) ◽  
pp. 537-539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Paule Kieny ◽  
Henk Bekedam ◽  
Delanyo Dovlo ◽  
James Fitzgerald ◽  
Jarno Habicht ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Universal Health

scholarly journals Equity in access to non-communicable disease medicines: a cross-sectional study in Kenya

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. e000828 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter C Rockers ◽  
Richard O Laing ◽  
Veronika J Wirtz
Keyword(s):  
Health Facility ◽  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
Access To Medicines ◽  
Household Wealth ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Household Asset ◽  
Equity In Access ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Universal Health

IntroductionWealth-based inequity in access to medicines is an impediment to achieving universal health coverage in many low-income and middle-income countries. We explored the relationship between household wealth and access to medicines for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Kenya.MethodsWe administered a cross-sectional survey to a sample of patients prescribed medicines for hypertension, diabetes or asthma. Data were collected on medicines available in the home, including the location and cost of purchase. Household asset information was used to construct an indicator of wealth. We analysed the relationship between household wealth and various aspects of access, including the probability of having NCD medicines at home and price paid.ResultsAmong 639 patients interviewed, hypertension was the most prevalent NCD (69.6%), followed by diabetes (22.2%) and asthma (20.2%). There was a positive and statistically significant association between wealth and having medicines for patients with hypertension (p=0.020) and asthma (p=0.016), but not for diabetes (p=0.160). Poorer patients lived farther from their nearest health facility (p=0.050). There was no relationship between household wealth and the probability that the nearest public or non-profit health facility had key NCD medicines in stock, though less poor patients were significantly more likely to purchase medicines at better stocked private outlets. The relationship between wealth and median price paid for metformin by patients with diabetes was strongly u-shaped, with the middle quintile paying the lowest prices and the poorest and least poor paying higher prices. Patients with asthma in the poorest wealth quintile paid more for salbutamol than those in all other quintiles.ConclusionThe poorest in Kenya appear to face increased barriers to accessing NCD medicines as compared with the less poor. To achieve universal health coverage, the country will need to consider pro-poor policies for improving equity in access.

scholarly journals Universal Health Coverage in Rural Ecuador: A Cross-sectional Study of Perceived Emergencies

1996 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 889-900 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Eckhardt ◽  
Dimitri Santillán ◽  
Tomas Faresjö ◽  
Birger Forsberg ◽  
Magnus Falk
Keyword(s):  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Universal Health

scholarly journals Nurses' knowledge of universal health coverage for inclusive and sustainable elderly care services

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabian Ling Ngai Tung ◽  
Vincent Chun Man Yan ◽  
Winnie Ling Yin Tai ◽  
Jing Han Chen ◽  
Joanne Wai-yee Chung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
Elderly Care ◽  
Healthcare Policy ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Universal Health ◽  
Nurses Knowledge

Objectives: to explore nurses' knowledge of universal health coverage (UHC) for inclusive and sustainable development of elderly care services. Method: this was a cross-sectional survey. A convenience sample of 326 currently practicing enrolled nurses (EN) or registered nurses (RN) was recruited. Respondents completed a questionnaire which was based on the implementation strategies advocated by the WHO Global Forum for Governmental Chief Nursing Officers and Midwives (GCNOMs). Questions covered the government initiative, healthcare financing policy, human resources policy, and the respondents' perception of importance and contribution of nurses in achieving UHC in elderly care services. Results: the knowledge of nurses about UHC in elderly care services was fairly satisfactory. Nurses in both clinical practice and management perceived themselves as having more contribution and importance than those in education. They were relatively indifferent to healthcare policy and politics. Conclusion: the survey uncovered a considerable knowledge gap in nurses' knowledge of UHC in elderly care services, and shed light on the need for nurses to be more attuned to healthcare policy. The educational curriculum for nurses should be strengthened to include studies in public policy and advocacy. Nurses can make a difference through their participation in the development and implementation of UHC in healthcare services.

scholarly journals Unique health identifiers for universal health coverage

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (S1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Mills ◽  
Jane Kim Lee ◽  
Bahie Mary Rassekh ◽  
Martina Zorko Kodelja ◽  
Green Bae ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
Identity Management ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Vital Event ◽  
Identification Number ◽  
Civil Registration ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Number Systems ◽  
The Government ◽  
Universal Health

Abstract Identifying everyone residing in a country, especially the poor, is an indispensable part of pursuing universal health coverage (UHC). Having information on an individuals’ financial protection is also imperative for measuring the progress of UHC. This paper examines different ways of instituting a system of unique health identifiers that can lead toward achieving UHC, particularly in relation to utilizing universal civil registration and national unique identification number systems. Civil registration is a fundamental function of the government that establishes a legal identity for individuals and enables them to access essential public services. National unique identification numbers assigned at birth registration can further link their vital event information with data collected in different sectors, including in finance and health. Some countries use the national unique identification number as the unique health identifier, such as is done in South Korea and Thailand. In other countries, a unique health identifier is created in addition to the national unique identification number, but the two numbers are linked; Slovenia offers an example of this arrangement. The advantages and disadvantages of the system types are discussed in the paper. In either approach, linking the health system with the civil registration and national identity management systems contributed to advancing effective and efficient UHC programs in those countries.

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