ACTIVITY 4.1: HEALTH FINANCING
Names: BISANGABAGABO Gilbert
Ref. Number: 215041806
QUESTIONS
1. Write a brief essay that will respond to the following questions
a. How can you define a health system
b. What is the difference between a health system and a health care system?
c. What does Universal Health Coverage mean?
Answer
A) According to WHO, Health system: it is all the activities whose primary purpose is to promote, restore and/or maintain health, in other words it is the people, institutions and resources, arranged together in accordance with established policies, to improve the health of the population they serve, while responding to people's legitimate expectations and protecting them against the cost of ill‐health through a variety of activities whose primary intent is to improve health.
Health system has a Health system building blocks which is an analytical framework used by WHO to describe health systems, disaggregating them into 6 core components: leadership and governance (stewardship), service delivery, health workforce, health information system, medical products, vaccines and technologies, and health system financing.
B) A health system, also sometimes referred to as health care system or as healthcare system, is the organization of people, institutions, and resources that deliver health care services to meet the health needs of target populations or organizations or policies in place that are designed to plan and provide medical care for people. Providers of health care insurance are examples of healthcare systems. Hospitals, clinics and community health centers are examples of healthcare systems. The fundamental purpose of health care is to enhance quality of life by enhancing health. Commercial businesses focus on creating financial profit to support their valuation and remain viable
C)Universal health coverage is defined as ensuring that all people have access to needed health services (including prevention, promotion, treatment, rehabilitation and palliation) of sufficient quality to be effective while also ensuring that the use of these services does not expose the user the financial hardship. Universal health coverage is a major goal for health reform in many countries and a priority objective of WHO. Universal health coverage embodies three related objectives: equity in access to health services: those who need the services should get them, not only those who can pay for them; that the quality of health services is good enough to improve the health of those receiving services; and financial-risk protection: ensuring that the cost of using care does not put people at risk of financial hardship. Currently, at least half of the people in the world do not receive the health services they need. About 100 million people are pushed into extreme poverty each year because of out-of-pocket spending on health.
References
1. Health B, Goal SD. Health Systems. 2015;1.
2. WHO, health system 2011
3.Is W, Health U. Universal Health Coverage: Lessons To Guide Country Actions on Health Financing What Are the Health Financing Lessons From Country Experiences for Progress Toward Uhc? 2014;21(2007):2012–3. Available from: http://www.who.int/health_financing/UHCandHealthFinancing-final.pdf