Global health funding is broken

Global health funding is broken

Half the world’s population lacks access to essential health services despite global health record spending

Global health spending is at an all-time high. Why do half the world's population still lack access to essential health services? 

Every year, the global health budget is around $40 billion dollars. Yet 50% of the world’s population still can’t access healthcare when they need it. 

Global health funders have spent years investing in disease-specific interventions, such as TB, malaria and HIV/Aids. Their efforts have worked. The number of deaths from these diseases in low- and middle- income countries have decreased dramatically. 

But the needs of the people in these countries have now shifted. They are dying from traumatic injuries, cancer, complications at birth, birth defects. They are dying from conditions who can be treated or avoided with surgery. 

17 million people die from surgically treatable conditions every year, more than five times as many deaths as due to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined.

But wealthy donors aren’t listening. They aren’t listening to years of research. They aren’t listening to experts. They aren’t listening to the people they claim to help. 

They continue to fund infectious diseases. Communicable diseases receive 20 times more funding than non-communicable diseases. 

When will they listen? When will they divert funding to creating resilient and strong healthcare systems? When will surgery receive the funding it deserves? Health for All is unachievable with this disease-specific funding model. 

What happens when the person treated for malaria dies from peritonitis? What happens the mother who dies while giving birth because she couldn’t get the C-section she needed? 

30% of the global burden of disease is caused by conditions that can be treated by surgery.

Without investment in health system strengthening, low- and middle-income countries will continue to depend on international aid. They aren't given the chance to be self-sufficient. The system isn't fair. 

It's time we take a stand. It's time we give local people a platform to express their needs and concerns. It's time we invest in healthcare systems. It’s time we invest in #Surgery4All

Read more on why investing in surgical care is the first step to fixing the current global health crisis.

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