The second phase of the index, supported by
Haleon, assesses governments' efforts across 40 countries to
ensure that good health is accessible to all
individuals
LONDON, Nov. 20,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Economist Impact, an arm of The
Economist Group that works with organisations globally to further
their missions, today launched phase two of the Health Inclusivity
Index, supported by Haleon (LSE / NYSE: HLN), a global leader
in consumer health. This phase's results show health inclusivity
falling worldwide, and notably Britain falling from its top spot in phase
one.
The index measures health inclusivity, which is defined as the
process of removing personal, social, cultural and political
barriers that prevent individuals and communities from experiencing
good physical and mental health.
Assessing 40 countries against 58 individual indicators across
three domains (Health in Society, Inclusive Health Systems and
People and Community Empowerment), the index aims to evaluate the
health inclusivity policy landscape, the availability of key
systems and infrastructure, in addition to efforts to empower
individuals and communities to navigate health systems and expand
access to marginalised and vulnerable populations.
The second phase of the index incorporates lived-experience and
measures the real-world implementation of inclusive health policy
through a survey of over 42,000 adults across 40 countries.
The phase 2 Health Inclusivity Index's key findings include:
- 85% of countries' inclusivity scores deteriorated between phase
1 and phase 2, showing there is a clear gap between policy and
implementation. Effective and inclusive health systems require the
enactment of strong policy frameworks and the meaningful
implementation of these measures in practice
- Britain has fallen as the most
health inclusive country when health policies are compared with
on-the-ground experience. While policy is an important foundation
for health, it is the effective implementation of the policies, and
people's experience of them, that will reduce inequities and
improve health outcomes for populations
- High-income countries have large gaps between their inclusive
health policies and citizens' experience of them. In contrast, low-
and middle-income countries have a smaller difference (the
United Arab Emirates is the only
high-income country that does not follow this trend). Although
high-income countries have forged ahead in developing and
instituting ambitious healthcare policies aimed at inclusion, this
push has led to a policy-practice gap that will require focus,
effort and resources to close
- Marginalised groups face the greatest risk of exclusion in
health when gaps between health policy and experience of policy
exist. But this is avoidable and requires the implementation of
targeted interventions, which should be designed in collaboration
with the populations they aim to target
- Over three in five respondents in the global health inclusivity
survey experienced barriers to accessing healthcare. The most
common barriers include lack of available appointments, distance
and cost of travel and lack of trust in healthcare services
- Younger respondents are more likely to say they have been
denied access to healthcare and to see trust and cost as barriers
to receiving care. Over one-in-five (21%) Gen Z and millennial
respondents had been denied access to care, compared with 14% of
older respondents
- Low- and lower-middle income countries foster greater
inclusivity through community-based healthcare services.
Respondents in low- and lower-middle income countries were almost
10 percentage points more likely to have access to the five core
services located at the community level considered in the
index
The top ten Health Inclusivity Index rankings are as follows:
Australia, Sweden, UK, USA, France,
Israel, Canada, South
Korea, Germany,
Switzerland and Thailand. With all but one country scoring
below 80, it is clear that a significant effort is needed to truly
embed health inclusivity.
Jonathan Birdwell, Global
Head, Policy & Insights, Economist Impact, says: "Measuring
a country's ability to provide quality healthcare involves
evaluating its policy but also its population's ability to use
their healthcare services. That's why we are pleased to add the
lived-experience indicators to Economist Impact's Health
Inclusivity Index. The results of this phase of the index show that
high-income countries still have a lot of improvements to make if
they are to effectively turn their policy into action."
To access the full report please visit:
https://impact.economist.com/projects/health-inclusivity-index
About Economist Impact
Economist Impact combines the
rigour of a think-tank with the creativity of a media brand to
engage a globally influential audience. We believe that
evidence-based insights can open debate, broaden perspectives and
catalyse progress. The services offered by Economist Impact
previously existed within The Economist Group as separate entities,
including EIU Thought Leadership, EIU Public Policy, Economist
Events, El Studios and SignalNoise.
Our track record spans 75 years across 205 countries. Along with
creative storytelling, events expertise, design-thinking solutions
and market-leading media products, we produce framework design,
benchmarking, economic and social impact analysis, forecasting and
scenario modelling, making Economist Impact's offering unique in
the marketplace. Visit www.economistimpact.com for more
information.
About Haleon
Haleon (LSE /
NYSE: HLN) is a global leader in consumer health, with
a purpose to deliver better everyday health with humanity.
Haleon's product portfolio spans five major categories
- Oral Health, Pain Relief, Respiratory Health, Digestive Health
and Other, and Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements (VMS). Its
long-standing brands - such as Advil, Sensodyne, Panadol, Voltaren,
Theraflu, Otrivin, Polident, parodontax and Centrum - are built on
trusted science, innovation and deep human understanding.
For more information, please visit www.haleon.com.
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SOURCE Economist Impact