Research article published in PLOS Global Public Health advocates for moving away from using GDP and GNI as proxies for measuring overall well-being and eligibility for external aid in health. The authors emphasise the need for robust alternative measures in global health financing.
Calls to move beyond using Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and its derivative, Gross National Income (GNI), have intensified. These indicators, originally designed for measuring economic growth, are now used as proxies for a nation’s overall well-being and eligibility for external funding. However, they consistently prioritise economic growth over population health. Major health financing agencies continue to rely on GDP and GNI despite their limitations. These criteria mask inequalities within and between countries, excluding a significant proportion of those in poor health living under the poverty line. Middle-income countries (MICs) often remain ineligible for aid, even though they host 70% of the world’s poor.
The article talks about promising alternatives including “add-on” measures related to sustainability and green growth, as well as entirely new frameworks like Aotearoa New Zealand’s Living Standards Framework (LSF). Shifting away from GDP-based criteria is crucial for equitable health financing and universal health coverage by 2030.