Here’s the translation into American English:
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The world is facing a severe emergency in health financing, warns Dr. Kalipso Chalkidou, Director of Health Financing and Economics at the World Health Organization (WHO). During a recent press conference in Geneva, Chalkidou emphasized the significant cuts in spending being made by wealthier countries, a situation that is negatively impacting international aid and destabilizing national health systems.
Chalkidou pointed out that nations like the United States, several European governments, and institutions of the European Union have decided to freeze or substantially reduce their health aid. Projections indicate that global health investment could drop by as much as 40% this year, representing a decline of approximately $10 billion from the more than $25 billion allocated in 2023. This reduced investment would leave health aid spending at about $15 billion, the lowest level in over a decade.
The situation is particularly concerning in developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where the dependency on external aid is high to finance their health systems. In countries like Malawi, U.S. health assistance accounts for up to 30% of total expenditure; in Mozambique and Zimbabwe, this percentage reaches 25%. Since 2006, per capita external aid in low-income countries has consistently exceeded national health spending.
Moreover, many of these states are facing a growing debt burden, with some countries allocating double to debt services compared to what they spend on health, making it difficult to reallocate resources toward the health sector. Chalkidou mentioned that, according to a WHO survey, countries are reporting disruptions in health services not seen since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To mitigate this crisis, the WHO is calling on countries to reduce their reliance on external aid and increase their revenues through fiscal improvements, including taxes on products like tobacco and alcohol. Collaboration with multilateral banks is also recommended to secure low-interest loans aimed at effective and profitable health investments.
The WHO will participate in the upcoming International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, where world leaders are expected to discuss the health financing crisis and generate new commitments to address this urgent challenge.
via: MiMub in Spanish
