Washington, D.C., 8 November  2012 (PAHO/WHO).  On November 8-9, participants and experts from 18 countries of the Region of the Americas are holding the Regional Workshop: Financing Health Care Systems:  Macroeconomic and Fiscal Implications of Financing Universal Health. Participants are exploring and discussing the macroeconomic and fiscal implications of pursuing universal health care coverage in the context of the current global economic environment.

The 2010 World Health Report included ambitious long-term targets related to the achievement of universal health coverage. They include raising public expenditures as a percentage of GDP to 6% and the participation of private out-of- pocket expenditures to around 20% of overall national health expenditures.

For that purpose the Pan American Health Organization has organized the Regional Workshops.

Throughout the countries of the Americas, governments have made strong commitments to reform health care services systems. PAHO is concerned that despite these commitments, progress is slow. While some progress had been made during 2008-2010, the trend seems to have reverted in 2011.

Workshop participants are discussing topics such as national health care expenditure in Latin America and the Caribbean, and health care trends, macroeconomic and fiscal challenges. They are also sharing experiences about reforming health care systems and universal health coverage at global, regional and national levels.

The discussion about the macroeconomic and fiscal implications of financing universal health coverage will be an enormous contribution to the Region of the Americas. It will help re-define and strengthen PAHO technical cooperation in the area of health systems financing.

PAHO celebrates its 110th anniversary this year and is the world's oldest international public health organization. It works with all the countries of the Western Hemisphere to improve the health and quality of life of the people of the Americas and serves as the WHO Regional Office for the Americas.

Participants and experts in the Regional Workshops:

• World Bank; International Monetary Fund;
• Center of Sustainable Health Spending from the Altarum Institute and  The Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars from the USA;
• Participants from the the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean – ECLAC , and from the Central America Institute for Fiscal Studies – (Instituto Centro Americano de Estudios Fiscales - ICEFI);
• Researchers/professors of Health Economics from countries in Latin America (Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Peru) and the Caribbean (Center for Health Economics from the University of West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago); as well as international experts on fiscal issues from the USA and other countries of the region.
• Directors and staff from Health Economic Units from the Ministries of Health, staff from the Ministry of Finance, and from Social Security Institutions, and independent consultants specializing in these topics.
• Staff from WHO/HQ, PAHO/HQ, and advisors on Health Systems and Services from countries in the Region. 

 
Links

• Workshop webpage
• PAHO Webpage. Health financing
• World Health Organization. Health financing
• Inter-American Development Bank. Integrated Primary Health Care
• Economic Commission for Latin America
• The World Bank. Health