In many of the world’s poorest countries, access to healthcare is a privilege reserved for the minority who can afford to pay for it. When user fees are removed from healthcare there is a dramatic increase in the use of healthcare services, particularly among the poor. As there is a strong association between higher use of outpatient services and lower mortality rates among women and children, this is excellent news!

The government is currently reviewing how it spends its international aid allocation. We are pushing to ensure that their plans are as successful as possible in helping to extend healthcare access to the worlds’ poorest by removing the significant barrier of user fees and ensuring that adequate alternative financing is in place to deal with the increase in demand.

Our expert guest speaker this month is Dr Sophie Witter, Health Economist.