Universal Health Coverage, Non-communicable Disease, and Equity: Challenges to Implementation Comment on "Universal Health Coverage for Non-communicable Diseases and Health Equity: Lessons From Australian Primary Healthcare"

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Woodruff
Keyword(s):  
Health Equity ◽  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
Primary Healthcare ◽  
Communicable Disease ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Non Communicable Diseases ◽  
Universal Health ◽  
Non Communicable Disease

scholarly journals Primary Healthcare Policy Research: Including Variables Associated With the Social Determinants of Health Matters Comment on "Universal Health Coverage for Non-communicable Diseases and Health Equity: Lessons From Australian Primary Healthcare"

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon Berg
Keyword(s):  
Social Determinants Of Health ◽  
Social Determinants ◽  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
Primary Healthcare ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
Determinants Of Health ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Non Communicable Diseases ◽  
Universal Health

Fisher et al have provided a solid addition to health policy literature in their finding that universal health coverage supports equitable access to Australian primary healthcare (PHC), despite factors such as episodic care and poor distribution of services. Their definition of PHC was comprehensive, extending beyond medical care to include social determinants of health and public policy. However, they limited their operational definition for purposes of the study to general practice, community health and allied health. Applying a narrower definition risks lost opportunities to identify policy implications for equity beyond financial accessibility. The populations most at risk of non-communicable diseases also face significant language, culture, and individual and systemic discrimination barriers to access. Future policy research should consider using a comprehensive PHC definition in determining variables of interest and designing research methodologies, to avoid missing important knowledge that allows existing biases within primary care to continue.

scholarly journals Learning by Doing: Accelerate Towards the NCD Target in SDG Through Primary Healthcare Comment on "Universal Health Coverage for Non-communicable Diseases and Health Equity: Lessons From Australian Primary Healthcare"

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cherian Varghese ◽  
Baridalyne Nongkynrih ◽  
Bente Mikkelsen
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
Primary Healthcare ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
Learning By Doing ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Political Commitment ◽  
Non Communicable Diseases ◽  
Universal Health

Health systems built on the foundation of primary healthcare (PHC) are essential to achieve universal health coverage (UHC). To adequately respond to the needs of people with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and enable optimal management in primary care settings, changes are needed at many levels. PHC levers recommended in the UHC framework as the cornerstone of achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) goals by strengthening the primary care system include strategic and operational levers. Experience from hypertension control programs across 18 countries has shown that rapid scale-up can be achieved through systematic improvement of the PHC system brought about by political commitment, financial support, and high-quality people-centred primary care. As countries are gripped with the pandemic the importance of an appropriate and resilient health system fit for the country is emerging as a priority for building preparedness. While there are general principles, each country must learn by doing and scale up models relevant to the national context.

scholarly journals Changing The Discourse in Ambitions Towards Universal Health Coverage: Lessons From Australian Primary Healthcare; Comment on "Universal Health Coverage for Non-Communicable Diseases and Health Equity: Lessons From Australian Primary Healthcare"

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah J. Simpson ◽  
Victoria Saint ◽  
Kayvan Bozorgmehr
Keyword(s):  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
Primary Healthcare ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Structural Determinants ◽  
Financial Risk Protection ◽  
Financial Barriers ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Non Communicable Diseases ◽  
Universal Health

While Australia’s health system has reached universal health coverage (UHC), recent scholarship points to its strengths and identifies ways it could be more effective and equitable, especially for tackling non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Building on the Australian experience, we add to these perspectives and present pertinent lessons for the quest towards UHC, and for policy makers globally with regard to NCDs. Potential lessons include: the need for i) vigilance – UHC requires ongoing monitoring and evaluation of not only financial risk protection but non-financial barriers and impacts such as forgone care; ii) investment and action now on structural determinants of NCDs and related inequalities to avoid potentially higher (fiscal, social and health) costs in the longer term; and iii) the opportunity for policy makers globally and nationally to revisit their ambitions for UHC to include population health policies/programs beyond essential health services that are required for healthier, more equitable and thriving societies.

scholarly journals Universal Health Coverage for Non-communicable Diseases and Health Equity: Reflections on the Role of Ideas and Democratic Decision-Making; Comment on "Universal Health Coverage for Non-Communicable Diseases and Health Equity: Lessons from Australian Primary Healthcare"

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Paremoer
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Health Equity ◽  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
Current Trend ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
The Political ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Non Communicable Diseases ◽  
Universal Health

Fisher et al have published a thought-provoking article exploring the complex relationship between universal health coverage (UHC) and equity. This commentary builds on two of the lessons they highlight: the importance of ideas in determining how exactly UHC advances equity, and the political difficulties of addressing the commercial determinants of health. I argue that equity in UHC can be advanced through interventions that address popular prejudices against public health systems, greater emphasis on structural and commercial drivers of ill-health in health professionals’ training, and by ensuring meaningful public participation in decision-making about the institutionalisation and management of UHC. These strategies are important for ensuring that the political, power-laden nature of concepts such as "universality", "health" and "care" are explicitly acknowledged and publicly debated – rather than continuing the current trend of allowing technocrats to reduce UHC to a matter of efficiently and expeditiously financing curative healthcare services.

Making primary healthcare responsive to non-communicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 114 (4) ◽  
pp. 229-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Baiden
Keyword(s):  
Primary Healthcare ◽  
Communicable Disease ◽  
Premature Mortality ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Non Communicable Diseases ◽  
Formal Integration ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Non Communicable Disease

Abstract Primary healthcare (PHC) meets the needs of people's health throughout their lives and empowers individuals and communities to oversee their own health. Most of the community-based activities currently undertaken in PHC in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) address child and maternal health. Non-communicable diseases are now major causes of morbidity and premature mortality in SSA. In this paper, I propose the formal integration of community-based, non-communicable disease prevention and early detection into PHC activities. I offer practical suggestions on how this can be achieved to ensure a continuum of care.

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