Margaret Chan

WORLD HEALTH REPORT 2013: "UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE" WHO

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• published: 15 Aug 2013
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WorldLeadersTV: WORLD HEALTH REPORT 2013: "UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE" WHO MaximsNewsNetwork: 13 August 2013: World Health Organization: WHO: Geneva, Switzerland - The World Health Report 2013 launched today in Beijing, China by the World Health Organization (WHO) called on countries to continue investing in local research in order to develop a system of universal health coverage tailored to each individual country's situation. The report shows how countries, when developing a system for universal health coverage, can use research to determine what health issues should be addressed, how a system should be structured and how to measure progress according to their specific health situation. Dye said that one of the things that should be done more effectively is to translate what is known about the way in which technology works, and to use that technology better in practice. The report reveals that, on average, domestic investment in research in low- and middle-income countries has been growing 5% each year. This trend is most visible in emerging economies such as Brazil, China and India, all of which have embraced the concept of universal health coverage. Case studies from many countries demonstrate the importance of local and global research for improving health, ranging from the prevention and control of specific diseases to the better functioning of health systems. The results of these studies emphasize the critical need for research to be carried out locally, where researchers can consider specific factors critical to individual countries. Reeder added that the entire spectrum of activity needs to go all the way down the actual implementation of better quality healthcare in countries, in districts and indeed finally in clinics. Then healthcare workers can be made aware of research, evidence and they can be trained to generate that evidence themselves, some of which will become universally applicable. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Christopher Dye, Director, Office of Health Information, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria & Neglected Tropical Diseases and lead author of the report: "Universal health coverage means that everybody should have access to the health services they need without risk of financial ruin or impoverishment. This report says we have many solutions on the pathway to reaching universal health coverage, but we don't know everything, by any means. And because we don't know everything, we have do research to find the answers to many key questions." SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Christopher Dye, Director, Office of Health Information, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria & Neglected Tropical Diseases and lead author of the report: "In terms of biotechnology, the world spends about a hundred billion dollars a year, a much, much smaller fraction of money is spent on designing health systems, health services, so that they can effectively use that biotechnology. So we put an emphasis on translational and operational research, because there is enormous scope, we think, for rapidly improving the health of people by doing that." SOUNDBITE (English) Dr John Reeder, Director, Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, (TDR): "So many times we hear the comments. Well, why do we need research, isn't it obvious, we just give a lot of bednets, it's bound to get better, we give a lot of drugs out, it's bound to get better. But really experience has taught us, that isn't so. And a lot of things are counter-intuitive. And that essential research at the right place and at the right time, can really make the difference between success and failure." WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: WHO: Geneva, Switzerland MaximsNewsNetwork®™ & WorldLeadersTelevision™ News Network for the United Nations and the International Community™ "GIVING POWER & RESONANCE TO THE VOICE OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY" ™ See: http://www.MaximsNews.com See: http://www.WorldLeadersTV.com ASIA100TVNet™ ASIATV100Net™ MAGNUMMAXIM™ TodaysNetworkNews™ WORLDMAGNUM™ GLOBALMAXIM™ TODAYSNETNEWS™ NewsNetworkToday™ NetworkNewsToday™ MaximsNewsEconomics™ MaximsNewsWorld™ MaximsNewsGlobal™ MaximsNewsGreen™ MaximsNewsWater™ MaximsNewsPeople™