An investment of $371 billion will be required to achieve key global health targets and prevent 97 million premature deaths in 67 countries, by 2030, a study, funded by World Health Organisation (WHO), states.
The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Health Price Tag, an analysis by WHO published in the Lancet Global Health Journal, shows that investments to expand services towards universal health coverage and the other SDG health targets could prevent 97 million premature deaths globally between now and 2030, and add as much as 8.4 years of life expectancy in some countries.
While most countries can afford the investments needed, the poorest nations will need assistance to reach the targets, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, wrote in a commentary accompanying the paper in The Lancet Global Health.
“Universal health coverage is ultimately a political choice. It is the responsibility of every country and national government to pursue it,” Ghebreyesus said.
The estimates were made for reaching 16 SDG health targets in 67 low- and middle-income countries that account for 75 percent of the world’s population.
The study gives two scenarios – an “ambitious” one with sufficient money to reach the SDGs by 2030, and a “progress” one achieving only two thirds or more of the targets.
“Under the “ambitious” scenario, achieving the SDG health targets would require new investments increasing over time from an initial $134 billion annually to $371 billion, or $58 per person, by 2030,” the analysis said.
The ambitious scenario includes adding more than 23 million health workers, and building more than 415, 000 new health facilities, 91 percent of which would be primary health care centres.
In both scenarios, health systems investments such as employing more health workers, building and operating new clinics, hospitals and laboratories, and buying medical equipment account for about 75 percent of the total.
The remaining costs are for medicines, vaccines, syringes and other commodities used to prevent or treat specific diseases, and for activities such as training, health campaigns and outreach to vulnerable communities, the analysis said.
“These investments would boost health spending as a proportion of gross domestic product across all 67 countries from an average of 5.6% to 7.5%. The global average for health spending as a proportion of GDP is 9.9%,” it said.
The investments could prevent 97 million premature deaths – one every five seconds over 15 years – including more than 50 million infants and children who are either stillborn or die before their fifth birthday, and 20 million deaths from non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.
“Life expectancy would increase by between 3.1 and 8.4 years, and 535 million years of healthy living would be added across the 67 countries,” the report stated further.
The “progress” scenario would require new investments increasing from an initial $104 billion a year to $274 billion, or $41 per person, by 2030. These investments would prevent about 71 million premature deaths and boost health spending as a proportion of GDP to an average of 6.5%.
“More than 14 million new health workers would be added, and nearly 378 000 new health facilities built, 93% of which would be primary health care centres”.
The analysis includes targets in Sustainable Development Goal 3 (health and well-being) as well as targets from Goal 2 (zero hunger), Goal 6 (clean water and sanitation) and Goal 7 (affordable and clean energy).
Anthonia Obokoh
