Hindu Editorial Analysis : 4-January-2024
The journey towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is intricate, but leveraging data and digital technology can significantly ease the complexities.
Universal Health Coverage Defined:
- UHC ensures that everyone has access to quality health services without facing financial strain.
- Encompassing health promotion, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care, it aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set for 2030.
India’s UHC Endeavor:
- India’s pursuit of UHC revolves around expanding the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), a government-backed health insurance scheme.
Challenges Hindering Progress:
- Global progress towards UHC is off-track, with health service coverage improvements stagnating since 2015.
- Manpower shortages in healthcare, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, pose a significant hurdle.
- Catastrophic out-of-pocket health spending disproportionately affects the poor, widening the wealth gap.
- India’s health expenditure remains significantly lower than the average for Lower and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs).
Suggestions for Overcoming Challenges:
1. Global Initiative on Digital Health:
- India’s leadership in digital health, highlighted by the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, plays a crucial role.
- A Global Initiative on Digital Health by WHO aims to attract investments into digital health, fostering international collaboration.
2. Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
- AI can transform healthcare, particularly in diagnostics, improving accuracy and efficiency.
- Predictive capabilities of AI contribute to disease outbreak forecasting, optimizing treatment plans, and revolutionizing drug discovery.
3. Need for Digital Infrastructure:
- Robust digital and data infrastructure can address numerous UHC challenges efficiently.
- India’s digital health journey could serve as a model for other low- and middle-income countries.
4. Private Sector Participation:
- Expanding Publicly Financed Health Insurance (PFHI) involves integrating the private sector.
- Public-private partnerships are essential to tackle the multifaceted nature of modern health challenges.
5. WHO’s Primary Health Care Approach:
- WHO recommends reorienting health systems using a Primary Health Care (PHC) approach, focusing on essential UHC interventions.
- A PHC approach could potentially save 60 million lives and increase global life expectancy by 3.7 years by 2030.
Why In News
The expansion of Universal health coverage will be complex, but data and digital technology can smoothen the way, empowering healthcare systems to provide more efficient and personalized services to a broader population, ultimately improving overall health outcomes.
MCQs about Universal Health Coverage
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What is the primary focus of Universal Health Coverage (UHC)?
A. Providing only treatment services.
B. Ensuring access to quality health services without financial hardship.
C. Promoting preventive health measures only.
D. Offering palliative care exclusively.
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How does the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) contribute to UHC in India?
A. By promoting only preventive health measures.
B. By expanding publicly financed health insurance for all.
C. By focusing on palliative care exclusively.
D. By addressing only the health needs of the wealthy.
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What is a significant challenge hindering progress towards UHC globally?
A. Lack of digital infrastructure.
B. Decreased out-of-pocket health spending.
C. Surplus manpower in healthcare.
D. Stagnation in health service coverage improvements.
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What role can Artificial Intelligence (AI) play in healthcare, as mentioned in the essay?
A. AI has no impact on healthcare.
B. AI is limited to health promotion activities.
C. AI can enhance diagnostics, predict disease outbreaks, and optimize treatment plans.
D. AI is solely focused on palliative care.
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