‘Well-funded and quality universal healthcare must be the legacy of the pandemic,’ if lessons are to be learned urged Deepak Xavier, Head of Inequality Advocacy and Campaigns, Oxfam International. Xavier told the World Economic Forum that the inequality in accessing healthcare around the world is proving fatal, something which has only been further highlighted by the pandemic.

“To be without a hospital bed or medical oxygen in the face of a pandemic is frightening enough, however, for most of the world that has long been the case,” he said. “Pre-pandemic 10,000 people were dying daily due to lack of access to healthcare.”

Healthcare can and should be accessible to all

However, he added that progress on universal healthcare is achievable and that countries including Costa Rica have already proven this. To achieve this, he calls on the implementation of a fair and progressive tax system to avoid concentration of wealth to the top 10 per cent.

“A 0.5 per cent extra tax on the wealth of the richest 1 per cent alone could raise $US418 billion each year which could be redistributed towards resilient healthcare systems. Issuing US$1 trillion of Independent Monetary Fund’s Special Drawing Rights global reserve asset would dramatically increase the funds available to countries – for example, the Ethiopian government will have access to an additional $US630 million — enough to increase its health spending by 45 per cent.”

It’s been a testing time for the industry and to recognise the achievements of hospitals and healthcare organisations in developing countries, a new award category has been announced by the International Hospital Federation (IHF). The 2021 IHF Awards will celebrate the outstanding and innovative projects that took place around the world despite the pandemic.

The new category, the Sultanate of Oman Excellence Award for Health Services During Crisis will recognise the achievements of hospitals and healthcare organisations in developing countries during a crisis.