22.09.2017
Opinion: Universal health coverage and the power of partnerships

"Every year, 100 million people are pushed below the poverty line due to out-of-pocket expenditure on health services. This is an untenable situation, both in terms of human suffering and for the long-term stability of economies around the world. Access to adequate health care should be universal, no matter where you live or what your income. (...) So, how do we achieve a more inclusive global health system? We must reassess our ideas of health care delivery and look at the issue holistically. We must recognize that disease and health are not discrete episodes in our lives, but part of a bigger picture. We need agile health services to respond to this, with more networks and better quality of care.

(...) Digital health, with the potential to leapfrog low- and middle-income countries toward greater social equity, economic growth and environmental sustainability, can play a key role in transforming the way we deliver health care." (Photo: Engineering for Change/flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)