The World Bank has announced an ambitious goal to help deliver affordable healthcare to 1.5 billion people by the year 2030.
This announcement was made by the World Bank President, Ajay Banga, in a statement published on Sunday by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Gavi, an international organization established in 2000, works to improve access to vaccines for children in the world’s poorest countries. In the statement, Mr. Banga emphasized the importance of universal healthcare coverage for global development.
“Providing a basic standard of care for people throughout their lives is critical for development,” Mr. Banga stated. He added, “This ambition won’t be realised with a solo effort. It will require partners, a coalition of the public and private sector, working together to expand access to healthcare services.”
The need for universal healthcare is urgent, as the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that over half of the global population, approximately 4.5 billion people, lack access to comprehensive healthcare. This lack of access has dire consequences, with 1.3 billion people being pushed into poverty or extreme poverty due to the high costs of healthcare.
Despite the pressing need, progress toward universal healthcare has been slow, with little advancement in ensuring that all 8 billion people worldwide have access to essential health services. However, organizations remain determined to close this healthcare gap, driven by the belief that healthcare is a fundamental human right.
One of the biggest challenges in providing healthcare is the shortage of healthcare workers. The WHO predicts a deficit of 10 million health workers by 2030, especially in low- to middle-income countries. However, the World Economic Forum’s research suggests that generative artificial intelligence could be a potential solution to this problem.
By using AI, healthcare systems can increase the productivity of existing workers, automate routine tasks, improve patient engagement, and enhance data analysis and decision-making. The research highlighted that AI could help mitigate workforce shortages and expand access to essential healthcare services.
“AI models can create images and text sufficiently human-like to automate many of today’s manual tasks—everything from transcribing doctor-patient visits and drafting emails to summarizing clinical studies and dispensing general health information,” the research noted.
The report also emphasized that AI-driven tools could revolutionize patient engagement, making interactions more natural and personalized. This could lead to early interventions, better disease prevention, and improved patient care.
Furthermore, a report titled “Closing Women’s Health Gap: A $1 Trillion Opportunity to Improve Lives and Economies,” highlighted the significant impact that equitable healthcare for women could have. The report finds that effective healthcare for women could dramatically reduce the time spent in poor health by two-thirds, improving the lives of over 3.9 billion people.
Despite women living longer, they often spend more years in ill health, particularly during their most productive years. The report also pointed out the lack of data on women’s health, noting that less than 2 percent of medical research funding is dedicated to issues such as pregnancy, childbirth, and female reproductive health.
The release of this report at Davos 2024 coincided with the launch of the Global Alliance for Women’s Health, which aims to prioritize and promote women’s health on a global scale.
