There is no doubt that with the assistance of technology, great strides have been made in healthcare. As our world has become even more closely connected, universal health interests are of even greater importance, especially when considering the impact of global health threats as seen in the recent Ebola and Zika outbreaks.
An Introduction to Universal Health Coverage (UHC)
Recognizing the need for stronger health systems on a global level, the concept of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) was born. UHC was also developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in consideration of the impact of health outcomes on social and economic development, as well as poverty reduction.
The Politics of Health Coverage
Under the WHO Sustainable Development Goal 3, Universal Health Coverage includes access to safe, effective, quality and affordable healthcare. As with any other mandates stemming from international organizations such as WHO, the effectiveness of implementing such changes relies on the governance and reform in-country. However, healthcare reform globally, including the United States and other developed countries falls far behind this goal.
For Universal Health Coverage to move beyond the conception stage and into practice, health, must be treated as a necessity, not a luxury. This ideology is particularly important in regard to health care expenses for patients.
Prevention, Health, and the Economics of Illness
It is easier to prevent people from getting sick than it is to cure people who are ill. Similarly, more money goes into healthcare from those that are sick than those that are healthy.
Why is this? Routine health care visits in combination with regular prevention and wellness outside of the health system, by the patient themselves, reduces the amount of money said patient will generate in health care costs.
Why is this important? Care for chronic, preventable illnesses such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, etc. is expensive. Unnecessary urgent care visits are also expensive. However, in the eyes of economics, spending is good. Likewise, for those that generate profit from health care expenses, illness generates more money. This does not necessarily mean that health care providers actively want for people to be sick, nor does this mean our system is setup to encourage illness. What it does mean is that illness, at least the cost of health care related to illness, results in economic expenditure. While health and wellness reduces the economic burden of healthcare, it does not pay into the system. This is what we mean by the “economics of illness”.
While Universal Health Coverage is important in relation to health care, there must also be a focus on the health and well-being of populations, in addition to just caring for their illness. While this may not be so popular economically, prevention and wellness is a more sustainable approach to reducing morbidity and mortality than caring for illness alone.
Lessons learned from Cuba
While much can be said about Cuba, both negative and positive, there is much to say about the Cuban healthcare system. In fact, the Cuban healthcare system has been recognized by WHO as a model for the world, placed far ahead of that of the United States and other developed countries. Not only is the Cuban healthcare system efficient and effective, but it is one that is operating in a low-resource setting.
What makes the Cuban system so great? Two key component of the effectiveness of the Cuban system are 1) the support of the government in keeping the system strong and 2) a focus on prevention rather than cure. Healthcare in Cuba is free for citizens, yet providers are some of the best trained in the world. At the very least, perhaps we can look to the Cuban healthcare system for tips on how to use prevention to more sustainably provide low cost, high-quality healthcare services and maintain a well-trained health workforce.
For more on the Cuban Health System:
Cuba’s Health Care System: a Model for the World
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/salim-lamrani/cubas-health-care-system-_b_5649968.html
How Cubans Live as Long as Americans at a Tenth of the Cost
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/11/cuba-health/508859/
Fidel Castro’s Health Care Legacy
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/blog/2016/nov/fidel-castros-health-care-legacy
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