This article was originally published in the Financial Times on October 30, 2019.
Rich countries must pay more to achieve health for all in poorer countries
Trade association chief argues the case for differentiated pricing
If you live on as little as $2 a day, even finding 20 cents for a blood test, a hospital stay or paying for vital medicines may be too big an ask. Half the world’s population lacks access to essential health services. And 100m people are driven into poverty each year by the costs of healthcare: distress financing by any other name.
That is why the political declaration on universal health coverage adopted last month by 193 countries at the United Nations is so important for patients but also for healthcare providers overall.
Let’s hope the rhetoric is swiftly matched by action. Achieving UHC by 2030 means helping people across the globe access the good quality and affordable healthcare they need without suffering financial hardship.
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Thomas B. Cueni is Director-General of The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA).
