The cost of healthcare is pushing more people into poverty

More than half a billion people are in extreme poverty due to health care costs, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Launched on Universal Health Coverage Day, the WHO data also shows that the Covid-19 pandemic is likely to halt two decades of progress towards Universal Health Coverage.

The findings contained in two complementary reports, highlight the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on people’s ability to obtain health care and afford it.

The pandemic has triggered the world’s worst economic crisis since the 1930s, making it incredibly difficult for people to afford care.

This has caused issues such as immunisation coverage dropping for the first time in ten years, and deaths from TB and malaria increasing.

Before the pandemic, half a billion people were being pushed (or pushed further) into extreme poverty due to the inability to afford healthcare, and the pandemic has only made this worse, with experts from the organisation expecting the number to be far higher.

The report also warns that this financial hardship is likely to become worse as ‘poverty grows, incomes fall, and governments face tighter fiscal constraints.’

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, commented: ‘There is no time to spare. All governments must immediately resume and accelerate efforts to ensure every one of their citizens can access health services without fear of the financial consequences. This means strengthening public spending on health and social support and increasing their focus on primary health care systems that can provide essential care close to home.

‘Prior to the pandemic, many countries had made progress. But it was not robust enough. This time we must build health systems that are strong enough to withstand shocks, such as the next pandemic and stay on course towards universal health coverage.’