Researchers at University of Greifswald Detail Findings in Health Planning and Management (Equality in financial access to healthcare in Cambodia…

Researchers at University of Greifswald Detail Findings in Health Planning and Management (Equality in financial access to healthcare in Cambodia from 2004 to 2014)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health & Medicine Week -- Data detailed on Health and Medicine - Health Planning and Management have been presented. According to news reporting originating in Greifswald, Germany, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, "Since the end of its internal conflict in 1998, Cambodia has experienced tremendous developments in the social, economic and health sectors, with the government embarking on substantial reforms in health financing. Health equity funds that have improved access to public health services for poor people have gradually been extended to the entire country."

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from the University of Greifswald, "Using the World Health Organization's methods for the analysis of healthcare expenditure and household survey data from the 2004, 2009 and 2014 Cambodian Socio-Economic Survey, we assessed trends in reported illness, utilization of healthcare services and associated financial burden on households. The impact of out-of-pocket expenditures for health on catastrophic health expenditures, poverty headcount and depth over the same 10-year period are presented, disaggregated by consumption quintile and place of residence (rural, urban and capital). At the aggregated national level, evolution of these indicators was very positive and correlates with a substantial increase in the capacity-to-pay of households, which reduced the average financial burden on households. However, over time inequalities grew between rural and urban areas. By 2014, the national incidence of catastrophic health expenditure was 4.9%, but four times more likely among rural households than their peers in the capital. For rural households with members seeking medical care, catastrophic health expenditure incidence was 12.3%. The impoverishment rate due to health spending among the lowest consumption quintile was 15.3%; the highest rate in this analysis. These findings suggest that economic and health sector developments have indeed benefited many Cambodian people. However, these gains mainly benefited urban residents; especially those in the capital city."

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: "We argue that more resources should be allocated to rural health services to address inequalities and healthcare-related financial hardship, which traps vulnerable people into poverty."

For more information on this research see: Equality in financial access to healthcare in Cambodia from 2004 to 2014. Health Policy and Planning, 2018;():. (Oxford University Press - www.oup.com/; Health Policy and Planning - heapol.oxfordjournals.org)

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting A. Fernandes Antunes, Dept. of General Business Administration and Health Care Management, Faculty of Law and Economics, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany. Additional authors for this research include B. Jacobs, R. de Groot, K. Thin, P. Hanvoravongchai and S. Flessa (see also Health and Medicine - Health Planning and Management).

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czy073. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

Keywords for this news article include: Europe, Germany, Greifswald, Health and Medicine, Investment and Finance, Health Planning and Management.

Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world. Copyright 2018, NewsRx LLC