The drive for Universal Health Coverage: shifting healthcare priorities to non-communicable diseases and injuries? (LSE Global Health Initiative Lecture)

Should we complete the unfinished agenda on communicable, maternal, neonatal and nutritional diseases or instead scale up essential interventions for non-communicable diseases and injuries in low- and lower-middle-income countries?

Countries are in different phases of demographic transition, with substantial shifts in the age composition of populations, leading to epidemiological transitions from mortality predominately associated with communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases (CMNN) toward mortality associated with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and injuries. These changes are reflected in the Sustainable Development Goal targets and the drive for Universal Health Coverage.

A key policy choice on the short-term agenda in low- and lower-middle income countries is whether to complete the unfinished agenda of targeting CMNN or scaling up essential interventions for NCDs and injuries.

This presentation reports expected impact on life expectancy, deaths averted, and inequality in life expectancy from scaling up recommended cost-effective and equitable actions for promotion, prevention and treatment of CMNNs, NCDs and injuries in low and lower-middle-income countries. Implications for national and global priorities will also be discussed.

This lecture is hosted by LSE’s Global Health Initiative