World Bank aims for affordable healthcare to 1.5 billion people by 2030

On Sunday, August 25, the World Bank announced its goal to help countries offer affordable healthcare to 1.5 billion people by 2030.

World Bank President, Ajay Banga, shared this news in a statement on the Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance website. Gavi is an organization that started in 2000 to help children in the world’s poorest countries get new and underused vaccines.

Banga 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.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that more than half of the global population, about 4.5 billion people, lack comprehensive healthcare. This problem is worsened by the fact that 1.3 billion people are pushed into poverty or extreme poverty because of the costs of healthcare.

Despite the urgent need for universal healthcare, progress has been slow, with only limited improvements in providing essential health services to all 8 billion people worldwide. However, organizations are intensifying their efforts to close the healthcare gap and extend services to more people, believing that healthcare is a fundamental human right.

A major challenge is the shortage of healthcare workers, with the WHO predicting a need for 10 million more workers by 2030, mainly in low- to middle-income countries. Research by the World Economic Forum suggests that generative artificial intelligence (AI) could help solve this problem.

AI could support healthcare workers by automating routine tasks, improving patient interaction, and analyzing data more effectively. According to the research, AI can handle tasks like transcribing doctor-patient conversations, drafting emails, summarizing studies, and providing health information. AI could also enhance patient engagement and streamline the process of diagnosing and treating patients.

The report also highlights the potential of AI to improve early interventions, monitor treatment side effects, and support patient care.

Another important topic is addressing the gender gap in healthcare. A report titled “Closing Women’s Health Gap: A $1 Trillion Opportunity to Improve Lives and Economies” reveals that better healthcare for women could significantly enhance the lives of over 3.9 billion people. Effective healthcare for women could cut down poor health time by two-thirds. Despite living longer, women often spend more years in ill health, especially during their most productive years.

The report also notes a lack of research into women’s health issues, with less than 2% of medical research funding going toward pregnancy, childbirth, and female reproductive health. The report was released at Davos 2024 along with the launch of the Global Alliance for Women’s Health, which aims to focus on and improve women’s health.