Global studies reveal health financing crisis facing developing countries
Analysing national health spending and global health funding [1], two studies led by Dr Joseph Dieleman from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), Seattle, USA, should be a wake up call to global leaders and governments to deliver greater investment in health. The studies will be presented this week at the World Bank Group Universal Health Coverage Annual Financing Forum [2]. "Despite tremendous need, our results show that tepid growth in health spending is likely in many of the poorest countries with the largest disease burdens over the next 25 years," says Dr Dieleman. "Historically, some of these financing gaps have been filled by international aid. But, funding growth has stalled in recent years and future projections suggest that global health funding may not be sufficient to bridge the gap." He adds, "These changes in the growth and focus of international aid could have a serious impact on over 15 million people taking antiretrovir...