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First-ever Universal Health Coverage Day urges “Health for all – everywhere”

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  1. expand equitable access to health services that are comprehensive, good of quality, and centered on people and communities
  2. improve stewardship and governance in the public health sector
  3. increase and improve financing for health and advancing toward elimination of out-of-pocket payments that are a barrier to access to care
  4. strengthen coordination between the public health sector and other sectors to address social and economic conditions that affect health and access to care.
  • The Latin America and Caribbean region is one of the most inequitable in the world, with 29% of the population living in poverty and the poorest 40% receiving less than 15% of total income.
  • As of 2010, 36 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean lacked access to safe drinking water, 120 million lacked wastewater disposal and sewerage services, and nearly 25 million had to defecate in the open.
  • Eleven Latin American and Caribbean report a deficit of health workers, with fewer than 25 physicians, nurses, and certified midwives per 10,000 population.
  • Public spending on health in Latin America and the Caribbean was only 3.8% of GDP in 2011, compared with 8% average public spending on health in OECD countries.
  • PAHO/WHO considers 6% of GDP as a useful benchmark for the minimum (though not necessarily sufficient) spending level needed to reduce inequities and increase financial protection in the framework of universal access to health and universal health coverage.

Published December 18, 2014

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