Thread by @TheLancet

Strengthened primary health care (PHC) could be our ticket to universal health coverage.

But only with the right financing arrangements.

New @LancetGH Commission outlines ways to #FinancePHC, placing people & equity at the
centre ➡️ hubs.li/Q017p3NK0

When successfully delivered, primary health care can:
1⃣ Improve equity, promote good health, & reduce risk of disease
2⃣ Limit the financial burden of health-care for households
3⃣ Save governments money

👉 hubs.li/Q017p3NK0 #FinancePHC

Although a staple of high-performing health systems, #PrimaryHealthCare lacks funding, quality, & accessibility in many low- & middle-income countries (LMICs).

🔻 Annual government spending on PHC is just US$3 per capita in LICs. hubs.li/Q017p5qz0 #FinancePHC

Levels & sources of #PrimaryHealthCare spending vary between countries, but there are clear patterns:
- Fragmented health financing
- Low levels of government funding for PHC
- Out-of-pocket payments common
- Population-based payment systems rarely used in LICs
#FinancePHC

The @LancetGH Commission has identified strategies to #FinancePHC irrespective of country income level—they include:
• Mobilising + pooling funds for health
• Equitable allocation of resources to #PHC
• Blended, capitation-based payment
hubs.li/Q017p5qz0

There are clear ethical & economic incentives to #FinancePHC.

It is now incumbent upon countries, governments, policymakers, & funders to take the Commission recommendations forward.

➡️ hubs.li/Q017p5qz0

#COVID19 has shown that we need to invest more in health—but as well as spending more, we need to spend *better*.

Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Director-General of @WHO & founding member of @TheElders, on new @LancetGH Commission: hubs.li/Q017qLjS0

#FinancePHC

@WHO @TheElders @LancetGH @LSHTM @Karaghanson @DinaBalabanova @brikci_nouria @GordonBrown, former UK Prime Minister & @WHO Ambassador for Global Health Financing, welcomes the @LancetGH Commission report.

In a Comment with Arian Marti, he writes of the commitment & innovation required for people-centred PHC financing: hubs.li/Q017rX4r0 #FinancePHC