Financing health care in the WHO South-East Asia Region: time for a reset

February 2021. New paper titled  “Financing health care in the WHO South-East Asia Region: time for a reset” in the forthcoming supplement to the WHO South-East Asia Journal of Public Health in April 2021. This commentary was a result of a collaborative effort beween the World Bank and the WHO South-East Asia Region office to jointly reinforce the following key messages:

• The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devasting impact not only on mortality and morbidity but also on economic activity, due to lockdowns and voluntary social distancing, in the South-East Asia Region (SEAR). For example, the average per capita economic contraction among SEAR countries is currently projected to be 5.3% in 2020.
• This economic contraction suggests severe consequences for financing for health and sustaining progress towards universal health coverage, especially since the region is characterized by extremely low levels of public financing and a predominance of out-of-pocket spending which have contributed to weaknesses in primary health care (PHC), including in relation to pandemic preparedness and in containing COVID-19.
• Without sustained countercyclical public spending and an increased priority for health in government budgets, countries will be likely to see a slowdown or even reversal in growth in public financing for health.
• Countries must emphasize public health focus, improve targeting of public financing towards the poor and vulnerable, reduce fragmentation and duplication of financing flows, leverage strategic purchasing and cut wasteful spending. The COVID-19 pandemic also presents an opportunity to reset how health systems and PHC are prioritized and adequately financed in the countries of the South-East Asia Region, as areas of core public investment that not only contribute to better health outcomes but also are critical for ensuring a sustained economic recovery