Resources

Over the past two decades, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank have been tracking financial protection using household survey data to compare how much people spend out of pocket on health care with their household’s ability to pay. For the first time, this joint report establishes global and regional 2015 baselines for an SDG indicator of catastrophic health spending and infers from previous trends the challenges to come in protecting people from the financial consequences of paying out of pocket for the health services they need. While most data this report presents predates the pandemic, it is prepared taking into account the need to look back to understand the systemic weaknesses that led the world to where it is today, to be able to look forward to building stronger, more resilient, and inclusive systems that protect all people. Importantly, the 2021 Global Monitoring Report pushes into new territory by revealing the persistent financial hardship and financial barriers that especially the poorest and most vulnerable households face when trying to access health care. This report stresses that any expenditure on health care by the poor is further impoverishing and that improved financial protection does not only have intrinsic value, but is also key to overall poverty eradication.  To make good on the commitment to UHC, including financial protection, public policy must commit to public spending and supportive policy action with a clear focus on those countries and households most in need. It is useful document for policymakers. Click here to read the report.