Assistive Technology within Universal Health Coverage

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Introduction

Before going into the topic "Assistive technology within Universal Health Coverage", it is very essential to understand the basic about Assistive technology and Universal Health Coverage.

Universal health coverage (UHC)

UHC is defined as all people having access to the quality health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardship in paying for the services. It includes the full range of essential health services, from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care.

The member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) have endorsed UHC as a goal and stated that health systems must “be further developed in order to guarantee access to necessary services while providing protection against financial risk.” UHC was firmly endorsed by the World Health Assembly in 2005 and further supported in the World Health Report 2010. Since then, more than seventy countries have requested policy support and technical advice for UHC reform from the World Health Organization (WHO). To achieve UHC, countries must advance in at least three dimensions. Countries must expand priority services, include more people (ensure that vulnerable groups are not left behind), and reduce out-of-pocket payments.

1. Expanding priority services: Services can be usefully categorized into three classes: high-priority, medium-priority, and low-priority services. Services to expand can be ranked based on cost-effectiveness, priority to the worse off, and financial risk protection. Attention must certainly go beyond treatment and curative services to also include prevention, promotion, rehabilitation, and palliative care.
2. Include more people: Countries should primarily first expand coverage for low-income groups, rural populations, and other groups disadvantaged in terms of service coverage, health, or both.
3. Reduce out-of-pocket payment: Over 930 million people spend at least 10% of their household income on health care. Out-of-pocket payments lead a barrier to access to health services, especially for the poor. Along with that, for those who do use the services, out-of-pocket payments are often a substantial financial burden on them and their families and may even cause financial catastrophe. So to improve access and financial risk protection, countries should therefore shift from out-of-pocket payment toward mandatory prepayment with pooling of funds.

Assistive technology

What is assistive technology?

Assistive technology is any device, system or support used by individuals to maintain or improve an individual’s functioning and independence, thereby promoting their well-being. They enable people to live healthy, productive, independent and dignified lives, and to participate in education, the labor market and civic life. Some examples of assistive technologies are spectacles, hearing aid, cane, braille, wheelchair, etc.

Why it is important?

Today, more than 1 billion people around the world need assistive technology: that means approximately 1 in 6 people.

With populations aging and chronic diseases rising across the world, this number is likely to rise above 2 billion by 2030, with many people needing two or more products as they age.

Assistive products are not accessible to the majority of people who need them. In fact, only 1 in 10 people worldwide have access to assistive devices.

References