Drop in Health Spending Jeopardizes Covid-19 Recovery in Developing Countries: Report

Washington: Despite what will likely be the fastest economic growth in the aftermath of any recession in the last 80 years, 52 countries are expected to reduce per capita government spending below pre-covid levels over the next five years, according to a new World Bank paper releasedon Tuesday.
 
According to "From Double Shock to Double Recovery: Widening Rifts," governments will have to make bold choices to avoid falls in government health spending. 
 
In a group of 126 countries, per capita government spending is projected to exceed pre-covid levels by 2026.  

In 52 countries, by that time, overall government spending will however remain below 2019 levels.  
 
A return to pre-covid-19 growth rates in per capita government health spending in the poorest of these countries would require the share of spending assigned to health to almost double, from 10 percent to 20 percent. 
 
"The economic shock from Covid-19 is threatening the capacity of governments to spend sufficiently on health, threatening covid-19 recovery and health security for all," said Mamta Murthi, World Bank Vice President for Human Development in a press release on Tuesday.
 
"Cash-strapped countries will have to make tough choices in health investment to safeguard essential health services, stay on a path toward Universal Health Coverage, and build resilience for the future," Murthi added.
 
While bringing the current covid-19 pandemic to an end will require significant investments in covid-19 vaccines and vaccination programs, countries must also build resilience by investing in preparedness and ensure affordable health services for their populations, especially poor people. 
 
Yet, according to the paper, this is becoming a near impossibility for some countries.
 
"The projected net growth in health spending during 2021 and 2022 will cover only 28 percent of the countries’ cost share of a vaccine roll out in low-income countries, and 43 percent in lower-middle income countries," said Christoph Kurowski, lead author of the paper. 
 
"And the projected growth in government health spending in these countries by 2026 will cover approximately only 60 percent of the necessary annual investment to strengthen and maintain public-health preparedness and response capabilities," he added.

 
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