WHO: FINANCIAL PLANS CRUCIAL TO REDUCE OUT-OF-POCKET HEALTH EXPENSES

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 (Bernama) -- The World Health Organization (WHO)
is urging member states to prioritise financial plans to ensure broader access
to medical services.

Delays would push millions of households to the brink of poverty, it warned.

"If health systems do not provide universal coverage and adequate financial
protection, large numbers of households can be pushed into poverty both by
ill-health and by paying out-of-pocket for health care," said WHO Regional
Director for the Western Pacific, Dr Shin Young-Soo in a statement here
Wednesday.

The Regional Committee for the Western Pacific endorsed the Health Financing
Strategy for Asia and the Pacific (2010-2015). It calls for universal access to
quality health services without excessive financial burden.

The new strategy updates the existing strategy on health care financing for
2006-2010 approved in 2005.

At that time, about 80 million people faced catastrophic health expenses and
50 million people were impoverished in Asia because of out-of-pocket payments
associated with health services.

"The current economic recession threatens to further increase the
vulnerability of this region where social spending and social safety net
mechanisms are relatively weak," WHO said.

Out-of-pocket health spending in Asia is significantly higher than in other
regions.

The strategies being advocated include increasing investment and public
spending on health, improving aid effectiveness for health, increasing the use
of prepayment and pooling, strengthen safety-net mechanisms for the poor and
vulnerable and improve monitoring and evaluation of health policies.

WHO also pointed out that many health systems have invested heavily in
curative services that benefit urban and wealthier people, but little on primary
health care services that can be accessed by the poor and vulnerable.

--BERNAMA