Health Millions of people threatened by poverty

The World Health Organization has the „World Health Report 2010“ released. It follows that due to the cost of treatment in case of illness annually about 100 million people slip into poverty, usually a lack of health insurance is the cause.

11/23/2010

At the presentation of the „World Health Report 2010“ WHO Director-General Margaret Chan called on all states to make health care fairer and more effective. Because not only in the poorer countries suffer millions of people every year due to a lack of health insurance „financial disasters“. Even in the industrialized countries, many people are overwhelmed with the health costs, as the World Health Report reveals. In particular, in states such as the US or some Southern and Eastern European countries, where most people have to pay for medical treatment directly, many people end up in poverty traps due to illness, according to the WHO. Suffer the world „World Health Report 2010“ According to some 150 million people „financial disasters“, because they lack the health insurance to cover the costs of medical treatment in case of illness, about 100 million slips permanently into poverty.

But not only the missing health insurance is the „World Health Report 2010“ According to a problem. The generally rising costs in the healthcare system also present considerable challenges for many nations. As populations in many countries are aging, more and more people are suffering from chronic diseases, and new extensive treatments are driving up costs, health spending in most countries has increased tremendously over the last decades, the WHO said. A not inconsiderable share of the recorded cost explosion also highlighted the lack of efficiency of health systems, as the Director-General of WHO emphasized.

So will that „World Health Report 2010“ According to him, around 300 billion dollars were wasted on inefficiency worldwide in the hospital sector alone. The evaluation of about 300 studies in the context of „World Health Report 2010“ have shown that hospitals could afford an average of 15 percent more at the same expense, Margaret Chan said. Overall, according to the World Health Report, there are 20 to 40 percent savings in health care worldwide. In the view of the WHO, there are still considerable potential savings in the area of ​​pharmaceuticals. In developed countries, about five percent of health spending could be saved through proper use and improved quality control of medicines, according to the Director-General of WHO. As a cause of the lack of efficiency in many national health systems, the WHO has also named false incentives, such as the single reimbursement of certain treatment methods. So this treatment would be prescribed due to the separate billing particularly often. The WHO recommends working here rather with flat rates, as the focus of medical care would shift to prevention.

The WHO called in the context of the presentation of the „World Health Report 2010“ poor countries too to increase investment in their health care system. With the report „Financing of health systems - the way to universal social protection in case of illness“ At the same time, WHO is showing States ways of financing these additional investments in their health systems. For example, WHO recommends levying a foreign exchange transaction tax or raising alcohol and tobacco taxes to allow poor countries to benefit from additional health expenditure. At the same time, however, the WHO also warned donor countries in the context of „MDGs“ to comply with the financial commitments made or finally implement them. The increase in funding to the committed 0.7% of donor gross domestic product could save about three million lives in beneficiary countries by 2015, the Director-General of WHO said.

Also the Federal Health Minister Philipp Rösler (FDP) commented on the presented report of the WHO and drew from the submitted numbers the conclusion that it is with the structure of a health system „no patent solutions“ there and „each country (...) go their own way, taking into account historical, cultural and socio-economic conditions“ must. With regard to the obligation of „MDGs“ Development Minister Dirk Niebel (FDP) said that health will remain one of the key sectors of German development policy in the future, with Germany focusing on maternal and child health in particular. The German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) and other interest groups, evaluated the „World Health Report 2010“ however, as a rejection of the privatization of the health services, as the WHO clearly demands the development of public health care. This contradicts the report the intentions of the Federal Minister of Health Philipp Rösler (FDP).

Medico international e.V. also took the World Health Report as an opportunity to criticize the policy of the Federal Government. The recently adopted health care reform eradicates the level of equal access for all, rather than further securing it, stressed medico international. So be it „It is good that the report clearly gives preference to solidarity-financed health care systems“, said Health Coordinator Medico International, Andreas Wulf, adding: „However, international support for poorer countries, which can not meet the health needs of their populations on their own, must be increased and at the same time more predictable and long-term“. Therefore, medico calls for the creation of a „Global Fund for Health“, to support the developing countries and to regulate mutual aid under international law. (Fp)

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WHO: Lack of health insurance makes poor

Picture credits: Maren Beßler