What are the key issues?

In 2001, internationally $3.8 trillion were spent globally on health care. However, this amount was not spent efficiently with regard to addressing the issues of the poor: It is estimated, that

• Worldwide 1.3 billion people do not have access to affordable health care.
• Every year, more than 150 million people face financial catastrophe due to health care costs and
• About 100 million people are forced into poverty every year by health care costs and a lack of effective social health protection coverage.

Against this background, addressing health-related poverty, income security, access to health services, meeting needs are the key issues.

Extending coverage to the poor and excluded and providing access to health services is central to alleviate health-related poverty and improve income security.

Furthermore, increasing the effectiveness of existing schemes is key to adequately respond to basic health care needs and create financial stability of social health protection schemes, which often suffer from under funding, increasing medical costs, limited organizational capacity, lack of social dialogue, vested interests, insufficient analytical tools, insufficient data and regulatory frameworks.