scholarly journals Why Canada Is in Court to Protect Healthcare for All: Global Implications for Universal Health Coverage

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Frank ◽  
Claudia Pagliari ◽  
Cam Donaldson ◽  
Kate E. Pickett ◽  
Karen S. Palmer
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
Social Epidemiology ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Physician Services ◽  
The World ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Universal Health

Countries worldwide are currently endeavoring to safeguard the long-term health of their populations through implementing Universal Health Coverage (UHC), in line with the United Nation's 2015-30 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Canada has some of the world's strongest legislation supporting equitable access to care for medically necessary hospital and physician services based on need, not ability to pay. A constitutional challenge to this legislation is underway in British Columbia (BC), led by a corporate plaintiff, Cambie Surgeries Corporation (CSC). This constitutional challenge threatens to undermine the high bar for UHC protection that Canada has set for the world, with potential adverse implications for equitable international development. CSC claims that BC's healthcare law—the Medicare Protection Act (MPA)—infringes patients' rights under Canada's constitution, by essentially preventing physicians who are enrolled in BC's publicly-funded Medicare plan from providing expedited care to patients for a private fee. In September 2020, after a trial that ran for 3.5 years and included testimony by more than 100 witnesses from around the world, the court dismissed the plaintiffs' claim. Having lost their case in the Supreme Court of BC, the plaintiffs' appealed in June 2021. The appellate court's ruling and reasons for judgment are expected sometime in 2021. We consider the evidence before the court from the perspective of social epidemiology and health inequalities, demonstrating that structural features of a modern society that exacerbate inequalities, including inequitable access to healthcare, can be expected to lead to worse overall societal outcomes.

The World Health Assembly Resolutions on eHealth: eHealth in Support of Universal Health Coverage

2013 ◽  
Vol 52 (06) ◽  
pp. 463-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Al-Shorbaji
Keyword(s):  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Access To Health Services ◽  
World Health Assembly ◽  
The World ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Universal Health

SummaryThe World Health Assembly (WHA) of the World Health Organization (WHO) and three of the six WHO Regional Committees adopted a number of resolutions on eHealth: the use of information and communication technology for health. These resolutions have given legitimacy to eHealth as an area of work for WHO and its member states. The implementation of these resolutions will contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Universal Health Coverage. eHealth has been per -ceived as reducing the cost of healthcare, improving quality and equitable access to health services.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Pandemic: An Inhibitor of Universal Health Coverage Programme: A ViewPoint

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Helen Idubamo Wankasi
Keyword(s):  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Effective Governance ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Frontline Healthcare Workers ◽  
Universal Health

Ever since the re-emergence of Covid-19 as a pandemic, healthcare facilities (human and materials) have been overstressed, evidenced by the rate at which frontline healthcare workers fall sick and die in the course. In some healthcare institutions, the narrative has changed with regards to the number of days to access physicians for treatment, but selected and booked only on specific days and periods, except in extreme emergencies are able to access physicians un-booked. This is inconsistent with the intent of Universal Health Coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals. This paper, therefore, highlighted the objectives, covering a brief overview of COVID-19 and Universal Health Coverage; identified countries developed (Germany 1883) and emerging (South Africa/Nigeria) that have adopted Universal Health Coverage as well described how COVID-19 stands as an inhibitor to the achievement of Universal Health Coverage. At the tail end, recommendations are made on the way forward on the need for effective governance, manpower sourcing and general strengthening of the healthcare system.

scholarly journals People’s Voice and Civil Society Participation as a Core Element of Universal Health Coverage Reforms: Review of Experiences in Iran

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dheepa Rajan ◽  
Mohammad Hadi Ayazi ◽  
Maziar Moradi-Lakeh ◽  
Narges Rostamigooran ◽  
Maryam Rahbari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
International Development ◽  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Health Governance ◽  
Core Element ◽  
Governance Challenges ◽  
Universal Health

Health governance challenges can make or break universal health coverage (UHC) reforms. One of the biggest health governance challenges is ensuring meaningful participation and adequately reflecting people’s voice in health policies and implementation. Recognizing this, Iran’s Health Transformation Plan (HTP) lays out the country’s blueprint for UHC with an explicit emphasis on the ‘socialization of health.’ ‘Socialization’ is seen as a key means to contribute to HTP objectives, meaning the systematic and targeted engagement of the population, communities, and civil society in health sector activities. Given its specific cultural and historical context, we sought to discern what notions such as ‘civil society,’ ‘non-governmental organization,’ etc mean in practice in Iran, with the aim of offering policy options for strengthening and institutionalizing public participation in health within the context of the HTP. For this, we reviewed the literature and analysed primary qualitative data. We found that it may be more useful to understand Iranian civil society through its actions, ie, defined by its motivation and activities rather than the prevailing international development understanding of civil society as a structure which is completely independent of the state. We highlight the blurry boundaries between the different types of civil society organizations (CSOs) and government institutions and initiatives, as well as high levels of overlaps and fragmentation. Reducing fragmentation as a policy goal could help channel resources more efficiently towards common HTP objectives. The National Health Assembly (NHA) model which was first launched in 2017 offers a unique platform for this coordination role, and could be leveraged accordingly.

Universal healthcare in our lifetime? All teach, all learn

2019 ◽  
pp. 144-152
Author(s):  
Mark Britnell
Keyword(s):  
Health Coverage ◽  
National Elections ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Universal Healthcare ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
The World ◽  
Global Movement ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Universal Health

The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals of achieving universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030 have energized many governments to devise bold strategies and make big investments in their health systems. The global movement around UHC has gathered momentum at blistering speed. Within a few years it has transformed the focus of healthcare in low- and middle-income countries from a few diseases to a comprehensive vision of affordable, accessible, and acceptable care for all. In this chapter, Mark Britnell looks at how Philippines, Vietnam, Kenya, India, Indonesia, Columbia, Costa Rica, Panama, Nigeria, South Africa, Cyprus, islands across the Caribbean, and many others have announced significant UHC reforms since the development goals were passed in 2014, and UHC has been a headline issue in a number of national elections. He analyses UHC across the world, and looks to at the future of healthcare globally.

Reducing the Knowledge Gap in Global Health Delivery

2020 ◽  
pp. 152-165
Author(s):  
Andres Garchitorena ◽  
Megan B. Murray ◽  
Bethany Hedt-Gauthier ◽  
Paul E. Farmer ◽  
Matthew H. Bonds
Keyword(s):  
Global Health ◽  
International Development ◽  
Adaptive Systems ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
New Era ◽  
Health Delivery ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Universal Health

Randomized control trials (RCTs) are considered to be the gold standard for impact evaluation in international development and they are associated with a new era of evidence-based global health policies. However, there are inherent challenges in using RCTs to answer some of the most important questions in global health: why, if solutions are known, affordable at scale, and supported by existing evidence, do hundreds of millions of people lack access to essential health services? A lack of clarity on appropriate research methods for strengthening health systems has corresponded to a lack of investment in more complex and adaptive systems of integrated care delivery. This chapter reviews the use of RCTs in global health, highlighting major contributions, and addressing some pressing priorities in implementation research at a time when the Sustainable Development Goals emphasize the importance of sector-wide approaches, such as integrated primary care and universal health coverage.

scholarly journals Making fair choices on the path to universal health coverage: a précis

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Voorhoeve ◽  
Trygve Ottersen ◽  
Ole F. Norheim
Keyword(s):  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Ability To Pay ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
The World ◽  
Extra Weight ◽  
Universal Health

AbstractWe outline key conclusions of the World Health Organisation's report 'Making Fair Choices on the Path to Universal Health Coverage (UHC)'. The Report argues that three principles should inform choices on the path to UHC: I. Coverage should be based on need, with extra weight given to the needs of the worse off; II. One aim should be to generate the greatest total improvement in health; III. Contributions should be based on ability to pay and not need. We describe how these principles determine which trade-offs are (un)acceptable. We also discuss which institutions contribute to fair and accountable choices.

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