Tag

Universal Health Coverage

All articles tagged with #universal health coverage

global-health1 month ago•2 min saved

Global cancer gap widens as treatment access lags in poorer nations

WHO warns that despite medical progress, cancer outcomes remain unequally distributed: about 20.6 million new cases and 10 million deaths annually, with survival far higher in high-income countries than in poorer ones; many low- and middle-income countries lack access to essential drugs and radiotherapy, and up to 90% of patients abandon treatment due to cost. Projections put cases near 35 million by 2050. Yet progress exists in cervical cancer elimination efforts and reduced tobacco use, underscoring the need for sustained investment in prevention, diagnosis and care to close the gap.

via The Guardian|

#access-to-care #cancer #global-health

health2 months ago•7 min saved

WHO calls for rapid scale-up of newborn screening to detect birth defects early

WHO calls on countries to expand newborn screening for birth defects to enable early detection and treatment, which can save lives and reduce lifelong disability; about 8 million babies are born with birth defects each year and the condition now accounts for about 8% of under-five deaths, with 90% of affected children in low- and middle-income countries where screening access is limited; the agency highlights country progress and urges integrating screening into routine health services and universal health coverage, starting with country-priority conditions and expanding capacity over time.

via World Health Organization (WHO)|

#birth-defects #child-health #health

health3 months ago•10 min saved

Global health gains falter as progress stalls, WHO warns

WHO's World Health Statistics 2026 shows real progress in some areas (e.g., a 40% drop in new HIV infections since 2010, declines in tobacco and alcohol use, and widespread gains in drinking water, sanitation, hygiene and clean cooking access), but overall progress toward the health-related SDGs by 2030 is off track. Gains are uneven across regions, with persistent risks like anemia and childhood overweight, rising malaria in some areas, a slowed pace of universal health coverage, and large gaps in mortality data that hinder monitoring. The report calls for stronger primary health care, better prevention, and sustainable financing to safeguard achievements and accelerate progress.

via World Health Organization (WHO)|

#global-health #health #health-data-gaps

global-health2 years ago•9 min saved

"Unpaid Female Health Workers Battle for Recognition and Compensation"

Community health workers, who provide vital healthcare services in developing countries, are organizing and advocating for fair compensation after years of being minimally or unpaid. The movement, fueled by frustrations during the Covid-19 pandemic and enabled by digital technologies, is gaining momentum across developing countries. The majority of community health workers, particularly in Africa, are unpaid. However, recent successes, such as 100,000 female community health workers in Kenya receiving stipends, have inspired others to demand fair wages. The issue is seen as a gender, public health, and labor concern, and organizations like the Global Fund are now requiring countries to budget for community health worker remuneration.

via The New York Times|

#community-health-workers #fair-compensation #gender-equity

global-health2 years ago•4 min saved

Closing the Gap: Achieving Universal Health Coverage for All

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank have released the 2023 Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Global Monitoring Report, revealing that over half of the world's population still lacks essential health services, and 2 billion people face severe financial hardship when paying for healthcare. Progress towards UHC has stagnated since 2015, with little improvement in service coverage for noncommunicable diseases and reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health services. Catastrophic out-of-pocket health spending continues to rise, pushing millions into poverty. To achieve UHC by 2030, substantial investment and action by governments and development partners are needed, including a shift towards primary healthcare, advancing equity in access and financial protection, and investing in health information systems.

via World Health Organization|

#financial-hardship #global-health #health-services

health3 years ago•3 min saved

Global Efforts Intensify to End Tuberculosis by 2030

The World Health Organization (WHO) has expanded the scope of the Director-General's Flagship Initiative on tuberculosis to support fast-tracking progress towards ending TB and achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030. Tuberculosis remains one of the world's top infectious killers, causing 1.6 million deaths each year and affecting millions more. The initiative aims to scale up the delivery of quality care to people living with TB through equitable access to WHO-recommended rapid diagnostics, shorter all-oral treatment for infection and disease, increasing their access to social protection and other innovations including digital tools for health.

via World Health Organization|

#covid-19 #drug-resistant-tb #health