Striving for universal health coverage.

摘要

In 2005, WHO urged its member states to commit to develop their health systems so that all people have access to essential health services without the financial hardship associated with payment. Yet the world is still a long way from universal health coverage for rich and poor countries, with more than half the population lacking any type of social protection, and billions of people lacking health care. To guide countries at all development stages to achieve this goal more quickly and sustain existing achievements, the World Health Report 2010 is subtitled Health System Financing: The Path to Universal Coverage. Margaret Chan, Director General of WHO, launched the report on Nov 22 at an International Ministerial Conference in Berlin, Germany, where high-ranking decision makers gathered to exchange experiences and discuss strategies for health financing.