CITATION: The lancet commissions| volume 396, issue 10256, p991-1044, october 03, 2020
The Lancet NCDI Poverty Commission: bridging a gap in universal health coverage for the poorest billion
Gene Bukhman et al.
Published: September 14, 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31907-3
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31907-3/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
“As we embark on this great collective journey, we pledge that no one will be left behind. Recognizing that the dignity of the human person is fundamental, we wish to see the goals and targets met for all nations and peoples and for all segments of society. And we will endeavour to reach the furthest behind first.”

Transforming our world: the 2030 agenda for sustainable development1

We live in an era of unprecedented global wealth. Nevertheless, about one billion people in low-income and lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs) still experience levels of poverty that have long been described as “beneath any reasonable definition of human decency”, in the words of former World Bank president, Robert McNamara. This Commission was formed at the end of 2015 in the conviction that non-communicable diseases and injuries (NCDIs) are an important, yet an under-recognised and poorly-understood contributor to the death and suffering of this vulnerable population. The aims of the Commission were to rethink global policies, mend a great disparity in health, and broaden the global health agenda in the interest of equity…

KEY MESSAGES
– For the poorest of our world, non-communicable diseases and injuries (NCDIs) account for more than a third of their burden of disease; this burden includes almost 800 000 deaths annually among those aged younger than 40 years, more than HIV, tuberculosis, and maternal deaths combined
– Despite already living in abject poverty, between 19 million and 50 million of the poorest billion spend a catastrophic amount of money each year in direct out-of-pocket costs on health care as a result of NCDIs
– Progressive implementation of affordable, cost-effective, and equitable NCDI interventions between 2020 and 2030 could save the lives of more than 4·6 million of the world’s poorest, including 1·3 million who would otherwise die before the age of 40 years
– To avoid needless death and suffering, and to reduce the risk of catastrophic health spending, essential NCDI services must be financed through pooled, public resources, either from increased domestic funding or external funds
– National governments should set and adjust priorities based on the best available local data on NCDIs and the specific needs of the worst off
– International development assistance for health should be augmented and targeted to ensure that the poorest families affected by NCDIs are included in progress towards universal health care

Best wishes, Neil

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