10 Globally Renowned Leaders Who Support The National Health Insurance (NHI)

 

National Health Insurance (NHI) is a healthcare financing system that aims to provide affordable    and quality healthcare to all citizens. While the implementation of NHI in South Africa is a topical    issue, the idea has received support from various leaders and experts from around the world. Here are  ten prominent leaders who support National Health Insurance internationally.

1. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) and has been a vocal supporter of NHI. He has stated that NHI is a critical tool for achieving universal health coverage and addressing health inequities around the world.

2. Dr. Margaret Chan

Dr. Margaret Chan is the former Director-General of the WHO and has also expressed support for NHI. In a speech at the WHO Global Conference on Health Promotion in 2016, she stated that NHI is "the key to reducing financial barriers to access to health services."

3. Bernie Sanders

Senator Bernie Sanders has been a longtime advocate for universal healthcare in the United States and has expressed support for NHI as a means of achieving this goal. He has stated that NHI is "the most cost-effective way to provide quality healthcare to all people."

4. Dr. Paul Farmer

Dr. Paul Farmer is a physician and co-founder of Partners In Health, an international healthcare organization. He has been a vocal supporter of NHI and has stated that it is a critical tool for addressing health disparities and achieving health equity.

5. Dr. Atul Gawande

Dr. Atul Gawande is a surgeon, writer, and public health researcher who has written extensively on healthcare reform. He has expressed support for NHI and has stated that it is a necessary step towards achieving universal healthcare in the United States.

6. Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland

Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland is a physician and former Director-General of the WHO. She has been a strong advocate for universal healthcare and has expressed support for NHI as a means of achieving this goal.

7. Dr. Julio Frenk

Dr. Julio Frenk is a physician and former Minister of Health in Mexico. He has been a vocal supporter of universal healthcare and has stated that NHI is a critical tool for achieving this goal.

8. Emma Watson

Emma Watson is a British actress and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador. She has spoken out in favor of national health insurance and has praised the UK's National Health Service (NHS) as an example of how healthcare should be provided.

9. Dr. Julio Montaner

Dr. Julio Montaner is a physician and public health researcher who has been a vocal advocate for healthcare reform in Canada. He has expressed support for NHI as a means of achieving universal healthcare in the country.

10. Dr. Richard Horton

Dr. Richard Horton is the Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet, a leading medical journal. He has been a vocal supporter of universal healthcare and has expressed support for NHI as a means of achieving this goal.

In conclusion, while proposals for the National Health Insurance is cast in a negative light by some sections in South Africa, it is a well supported and transformative mechanism for health financing that has received support from various leaders and experts from around the world. From the Director-General of the WHO to prominent healthcare professionals and researchers, NHI has been recognised as a critical tool for achieving universal healthcare and addressing health inequities. As the country continues to grapple with healthcare reform, NHI remains an important and viable solution to improve access to quality and affordable healthcare for all.

References:

World Health Organization. (2019). National health insurance. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/health_financing/universal_coverage_definition/en/

World Health Organization. (2016). Speech by Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization, at the WHO Global Conference on Health Promotion. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/2016/who-global-conference-health-promotion/en/

Sanders, B. (2019). Medicare for All. Retrieved from https://berniesanders.com/issues/medicare-for-all/

Partners In Health. (n.d.). National health insurance. Retrieved from https://www.pih.org/pages/national-health-insurance

Gawande, A. (2018). Is health care a right? Retrieved from https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/10/02/is-health-care-a-right

World Health Organization. (2010). Universal health coverage. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2010/coverage_20100622/en/

Frenk, J. (2006). Bridging the divide: Global lessons from evidence-based health policy in Mexico. The Lancet, 368(9539), 954-961. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(06)69376-8

The National Academy of Medicine. (2018). The Role of National Health Insurance in Population Health Improvement: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25003

The Guardian (2018). Emma Watson pledges support for UK women Aid. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jul/05/emma-watson-pledges-support-for-uk-womens-aid)

CBC News. (2015). BC residents vote for national pharmacare program. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-residents-vote-for-national-pharmacare-program-1.3288566

Horton, R. (2018). Offline: National Health Insurance for South Africa. The Lancet, 391(10119), 1752. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31112-4