We found that this has happened in all regions and at all income levels and has occurred in response to wars, natural disasters, health emergencies, following political upheavals and even after economic crises.
Despite the varying contexts and the different crises involved, common lessons can be learnt from successful post-crisis universal health reforms. These will be shared with the audience.
Of all these findings, perhaps the most significant is that the cost of launching popular, UHC reforms appears to be around an additional 1% of GDP in public financing.
So the overall policy message for today’s leaders facing multiple crises is clear. Launching universal health reforms is perfectly feasible and affordable, even in the aftermath of a financial crisis.
About the speaker
Robert Yates is a political health economist specializing in universal health coverage (UHC) and progressive health financing. He is Head of the Centre For Universal Health at Chatham House. He is also an Honorary Associate Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a long-term consultant to The Elders on their UHC programme.
About this seminar series
The Collective Conversations is a seminar series organised by the Collective for the Political Determinants of Health. It aims to bring an original and critical lens to global health debates by discussing how the political determinants shape health outcomes.
Come and join the conversation! Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed about future seminars.