Public launch event – 9th December 2020 – 15:00 – 16:30 CET
The report “Global Spending on Health: Weathering the Storm” to be released at this event is based on the newly updated Global Health Expenditure Database (GHED). It is the 4th in a series of annual reports on global health spending that WHO has produced since 2017. The report was led by the WHO health financing team, with important contributions from Regional Office health financing experts and also from World Bank and OECD colleagues.
The 2020 Report analyzes global health spending for 190 countries from 2000 to 2018 and provides insights as to the health spending trajectory towards the SDGs prior to the crisis of 2020. The report shows that global spending on health continually rose between 2000 and 2018 and reached US$ 8.3 trillion or 10% of global GDP. The data also show that out-of-pocket spending is persistently high in low and lower-middle income countries, representing greater than 40% of total health spending in 2018.
The report also provides, for the first time anywhere and based on an extensive data collection effort, an analysis of how health spending has changed during 2020 in response to the crisis. In addition, we combine World Bank/IMF projections of the macro-fiscal impact of the COVID-19 crisis with an analysis of the historical determinants of health spending patterns and UHC indicators to draw out the likely implications of 2020 for future health spending, highlighting key policy and monitoring concerns.
OBJECTIVES OF THIS SESSION
- Advocate the Global Health Expenditure Database as a global public good.
- Inform the global health community on the health spending and health financing dimensions of the COVID-19 pandemic, based on available data.
- Inspire policy discussion on how to improve public spending performance to sustain progress towards UHC.
- Promote the value of policy of having transparently produced health expenditure data based on internationally comparable classifications.
RUN OF SHOW
Welcome (Claude Meyer, P4H Coordination Desk)
Opening Remarks by Awad Mataria, Director, Health Systems, WHO/EMRO (5 minutes)
Opening Remarks by Prof. Ilona Kickbusch, Co-chair, UHC2030 (5 minutes)
Opening Remarks by Feng Zhao, Practice Manager in Global Engagement, World Bank (5-7 minutes)
Presentation of the report by Joe Kutzin, Unit Head, Health Financing WHO/HGF (15 minutes)
Panel 1 (20 minutes)
- Dr Soonman Kwon, Professor, School of Public Health, Seoul National University
- Dr Mercy Mwangangi, Deputy Minister of Health, Kenya
- Lenio Capsaskis, Head of Health Policy, Advocacy and Research, Save the Children UK
Panel 2 (20 minutes)
- Anuradha Gupta, Deputy CEO, Gavi (pre-recorded)
- Dr Jean Kagubare, Global Delivery Programs, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- Matthias Reinicke, External Advisor on the Health Sector, European Commission, DG/DEVCO
Panel 3 (20 minutes)
- Mark Pearson, Deputy Director of Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, OECD
- Dr Michael Borowitz, Chief Economist, The Global Fund
- Amanda Glassman, Executive Vice President, Center for Global Development
Thanks and wrap up: Claude Meyer, P4H
To join the meeting:
