Page 29 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 14

Wholeness
What is curious is why, after McKinsey’s recom-
mendations about cost reductions and the methods
for how countries could go about this (which I will world are being squeezed – must
share later), did the WHO and UN and nations of find ways to curb its spending on
the world change course from ‘health care budgets hospitals.” The paper was published
around the world are being squeezed’ to a direction in 2010 and the Sustainable Devel-
that would ensure increased spending in healthcare opment Goals, which urged in-
and on healthcare systems in countries around the creased spending on health systems,
world, by the year 2030? All the while using as an were launched in 2015; while policy
entreaty, a principle they call Leave No One Behind discussions around the SDGs had
(LNOB). A term reminiscent of US military ethos. already begun by 2011, as the UN
needed a follow-on program for
when the Millennium Development
Goals lapsed in 2015. McKinsey
states on its website that it is a
one of the highest rates of all-cause epidemics, ensuring universal access strategic partner that supports the
excess mortality in 2020 among this to sexual and reproductive health- World Economic Forum’s mission
group of similar countries… Life care services, achieving universal of ‘improving the state of the
expectancy in the U.S. had increased health coverage, increasing health world.’ Healthcare Systems and Ser-
by 5 years over the past 4 decades, financing, strengthening capacity for vices are one of the, what they call,
although there have been declines management of national and global ‘Industries’ they are involved in.
in recent years driven by increased health risks and so on. Some of Investopedia defined industries in
mortality rates from certain caus- these aims have a target date of the this way: “An industry is a group of
es including drug overdoses and year 2030, which is why you have companies that are related based
suicides. On average, people in likely been hearing your govern- on their primary business activities.
comparable countries have a life ment talking about universal health In modern economies, there are
expectancy of 82.4 years – nearly coverage, maternal deaths, infant dozens of industry classifications.
four years longer than the U.S. life death prevention and malaria a lot in Industry classifications are typically
expectancy of 78.7 years – and the the last six years. According to the grouped into larger categories called
gap could grow… Additionally, UNDP website, the SDGs are “a sectors.
the U.S. has relatively high rates of universal call to action to end pov-
disease burden attributable to some erty, protect the planet, and ensure Individual companies are generally
of the health conditions that put that by 2030 all people enjoy peace classified into an industry based on
people at high risk of serious illness and prosperity.” their largest sources of revenue.
from COVID-19: cardiovascular For example, while an automobile
diseases, chronic respiratory diseas- According to the WHO, “Two years manufacturer might have a financing
es, and diabetes.” into the Sustainable Development division that contributes 10% to the
Goals era, global spending on health firm’s overall revenues, the company
What are we missing? continues to rise. It was US$ 7.8 tril- would be classified in the automak-
So, then what are we missing here? lion in 2017, or about 10% of GDP er industry by most classification
The world system says that it has and $1,080 per capita – up from systems.”
increased its focus on improving US$ 7.6 trillion in 2016.” What’s
health globally. Good health and interesting about this is that just a Leave No One Behind
well-being is Goal Number 3 on the few years before the launch of the You already know that health is clas-
17 point United Nations Sustainable SDGs, consulting firm, McKinsey, sified as being profit-oriented as op-
Development Goals (SDGs) list. released a report called ‘Supply and posed to being care focused. Some
In full, Goal Number 3 is stated as: Demand Strategies for Lowering in the health industry in Kenya have
“Ensure healthy lives and promote Spending on Hospitals’ in which learnt this firsthand by taking on
well-being for all at all ages” and it they said: “In most health systems, American investors and watching
has 13 aims, which include: reducing hospitals account for the largest them change their operations to suit
global maternal mortality, ending component of spending (often 40 the profit motive. For a profit-fo-
preventable deaths of newborns percent to 50 percent of the outlay). cused hospital or medical facility,
and children under the age of Thus, any health system that wants this means that they need to find
5, ending the AIDS, TB, malaria to control costs – a necessity, given ways in which to increase revenues,
that health care budgets around the

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