China
Africa
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Medical Tourism And Well-Being: Trends and Strategies
Published in Frederick J. DeMicco, Ali A. Poorani, Medical Travel Brand Management, 2023
Frederick J. DeMicco, M. Cetron, O. Davies
The U.S. has the best medical care in the world, or so we are told despite many statistics that say otherwise. Most countries in Europe offer universal healthcare, either paid for entirely through taxes or heavily subsidized and with relatively modest charges. In fact, 75 of the world’s 192 countries have passed legislation mandating universal access to healthcare services independent of income, and in 58, from South Korea to Botswana, at least 90% of the population has effective access to necessary medical services. Why go elsewhere for them?
The Declaration of Alma Ata
Published in Vivienne Lo, Michael Stanley-Baker, Dolly Yang, Routledge Handbook of Chinese Medicine, 2022
In May 1977, the World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) announced its target of universal healthcare coverage for all by the year 2000, which was codified the following year in the Declaration of Alma Ata. Universal healthcare coverage requires universal access to healthcare resources. Mao Zedong’s utilisation of existing resources to achieve extensive rural healthcare coverage – including: the development of the primary level of rural healthcare; the training of community health workers; and the integration of local healthcare practices and practitioners into the biomedical healthcare system – was adopted by the WHO and embedded in the Declaration of Alma Ata as a means to achieve ‘health for all’. However, eight months previously, on September 9, 1976, Mao Zedong died and with his death followed the rapid dissolution of rural healthcare coverage in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The Declaration of Alma Ata was adopted at the WHO’s World Conference on Primary Healthcare in September 1978. Three months later, Mao’s successor, Deng Xiaoping, instituted the first economic reforms of the PRC (Gaige kaifang 改革开放) leading to the current economic system of state capitalism accompanied by an ongoing cycle of healthcare policies and reforms that have, to the present, sought to return access to rural healthcare to its former coverage under Mao.
Ibero-America
Published in Chris van Weel, Amanda Howe, Primary Health Care Around the World, 2018
Juan Victor Ariel Franco, Lidia Caballero, Mauricio Alberto Rodríguez Escobar
The representatives for each country have expressed common concerns related to the fragmentation and overlap of the organizations and structures involved in the governance, financing and delivery of care. The private sector has grown in the region, providing health care not only to those privately insured but also to those affiliated with many of the government-sponsored programmes to make explicit guarantees for health care to achieve universal health care coverage. This complex landscape creates difficulties in governance. Nevertheless, some alliances with international organizations, such as the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/World Health Organization (WHO), have made it possible for some countries to establish policies to ensure more equitable care and a focus on PHC.
Preimplantation genetic testing in two Danish couples affected by Peutz–Jeghers syndrome
Published in Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, 2023
Anna Byrjalsen, Laura Roos, Tue Diemer, John Gásdal Karstensen, Kristine Løssl, Anne Marie Jelsig
In addition, patients may have ethical and social concerns related to opting for PGT-M. These can be based on religious beliefs, access to healthcare, education and medical history [10,14]. In some religions, PGT is considered to be unacceptable, and some consider PGT comparable with abortion [10]. Other religions consider PGT-M to be an acceptable option compared to donation of gametes or termination of a pregnancy. There can be concerns about the risk of a ‘slippery slope’, i.e., the advent of PGT will lead to unethical use (selection based on gender, IQ, or germline gene editing). In addition, there may be concerns about cost, both in countries with insurance based and universal healthcare systems. However, comparing the cost of PGT-M to lifelong surveillance and treatment of PJS, PGT-M may very well be cost-effective [15]. Despite surveillance being available for PJS, most PJS patients develop cancer during their life and the general life-expectancy is reduced compared to the general population.
Immigrants’ access to care under the Affordable Care Act: An examination of California
Published in International Journal of Healthcare Management, 2021
Health care provision has been at the center of many political debates. These debates are important for both the insured and the uninsured as universal health insurance is estimated to generate $65–$130 billion economic gain for the U.S. each year [1]. The discussion on government-backed universal health care program is decidedly mixed, complicated further by arguments of both economic and political nature when it comes to the undocumented and uninsured. The current study assumes a pragmatic view. While the empirical section finds that health insurance coverage in California neighborhoods is primarily influenced by birthplace and naturalization rates of Latino immigrants, realistically, immigration policy is hard to influence and the distinction by citizenship in health care access is likely to persist. Therefore, the paper advocates an alternative approach that strengthens local channels to access health care for noncitizens. Using LA county as a case study, the author estimates the current need to match the demand for care. The findings provide useful information to guide health policies on the undocumented.
Experiences of family of individuals in a locked in, minimally conscious state, or vegetative state with the health care system
Published in Brain Injury, 2021
Sarah Elizabeth Patricia Munce, Fiona Webster, Jennifer Christian, Laura E. Gonzalez-Lara, Adrian M. Owen, Charles Weijer
It is unknown whether the findings of the current study would emerge in other developed regions such as the US or Europe; however, we anticipate that countries with a similar health-care system to Canada (e.g., Australia), including universal health care, might have similar issues. It is possible that a universal health-care system allows less opportunities for personalization and therefore issues of coordination, flexibility in policies, and inappropriate care setting emerge. Future studies should seek to replicate this study in similar and dissimilar health-care contexts. Finally, future research could also seek to explore the health system challenges encountered by family members in the acute stage of recovery, although participants in the current study were able to recall challenges that they faced at this time.