World Bank plans affordable healthcare to 1.5 billion people by 2030

The World Bank has set a goal to help countries deliver affordable healthcare to 1.5 billion people by 2030.

the World Bank President, Ajay Banga, made the announcement in a statement, according to a statement published on Sunday on the website of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Gavi is an international organisation created in 2000 to improve access to new and underused vaccines for children living in the world’s poorest countries.

Mr Banga stated that providing universal healthcare coverage is key to development.

He said, “Providing a basic standard of care for people throughout their lives is critical for development.

“This ambition won’t be realised with a solo effort. It will require partners, a coalition of the public and private sector, working together to expand access to healthcare services.”

Global healthcare crisis

The World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that over half of the global population, 4.5 billion individuals, are deprived of comprehensive healthcare.

This alarming statistic is further compounded by the fact that 1.3 billion people are being pushed into poverty or extreme poverty due to the financial burden of healthcare costs.

The global health body stated that despite the urgent need for universal healthcare, progress has been sluggish in recent years, with little headway made in ensuring that all 8 billion people worldwide have access to essential health services.

However, undeterred by this challenge, organisations are redoubling their efforts to bridge the healthcare gap and extend vital services to wider populations, driven by the conviction that healthcare is a fundamental human right.

Initiatives for expanding access to healthcare

The shortage of healthcare workers poses a significant barrier to accessing healthcare, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) predicting a deficit of 10 million health workers by 2030, primarily in low- to middle-income countries.

However, research by the World Economic Forum has identified generative artificial intelligence (AI) as a potential solution to alleviate this shortage.

By leveraging AI, healthcare systems can augment the capacity of existing healthcare workers, automate routine tasks and administrative duties, enhance patient engagement and empowerment, and improve data analysis and decision-making.

It said that by embracing AI, healthcare systems can mitigate the impact of workforce shortages and expand access to essential healthcare services.

According to the research, generative AI has the potential to significantly boost the productivity of healthcare workers, enabling them to accomplish more with the same workforce. “AI models can create images and text sufficiently human-like to automate many of today’s manual tasks—everything from transcribing doctor-patient visits and drafting emails to summarizing clinical studies and dispensing general health information.”

The research further emphasised the potential of generative AI to accelerate the analysis of complex, unstructured data, enabling medical professionals to glean more precise insights and make informed decisions.

Additionally, AI-driven chatbots can facilitate more natural, human-like interactions with patients and caregivers, fostering deeper understanding and empowering them to take action, adding that AI is positioned to revolutionise patient engagement, creating a more immersive and personalised experience that strengthens the connection between individuals and healthcare services.

The report further revealed that AI has the potential to revolutionise patient engagement, enabling early interventions that educate individuals about healthy lifestyle choices and disease prevention. Upon entering a healthcare facility, AI-powered triage services can direct patients towards diagnosis or treatment, streamlining the process. Additionally, AI can monitor side effects and treatment adherence, further improving patient care.

Addressing the Gender Gap in healthcare

A report, “Closing Women’s Health Gap: A $1 Trillion Opportunity to Improve Lives and Economies,” reveals that equitable healthcare for women could dramatically enhance the lives of over 3.9 billion people.

The report finds that effective healthcare for women would reduce time spent in poor health by two-thirds. Women spend more years in ill health, often during their most productive years, despite living longer.

However, there is a significant lack of data on women’s biology, with insufficient research into women’s health issues, including female-specific conditions and those affecting both sexes but manifesting differently in women. Notably, less than 2 per cent of medical research funding is allocated towards pregnancy, childbirth, and female reproductive health.

The report’s release at Davos 2024 coincided with the launch of the Global Alliance for Women’s Health, which aims to prioritise and promote women’s health.