A three-day long international workshop on universal health coverage begins Tuesday at Yogyakarta, Indonesia, said a news posted on ADBI website.
Tokyo-based ADBI and Indonesian government jointly arranged the event.
In many countries in Asia, attaining universal health insurance is now an explicit policy objective, showing governments' commitment to improving the health of their citizens.
Universal health insurance is also important for fighting poverty in an age of deepening income inequality worldwide.
This workshop will discuss existing social security systems in developed countries struggling with aging populations, lessons learned, and policies needed to improve universal health insurance in developing Asian countries.
The workshop will also discuss the lack of involvement from the informal sector and the middle class, known as the “missing middle.” This group is reluctant to participate in universal health insurance because they prioritize other needs and register only when they become sick. It is crucial for policy makers to convince the “missing middle” that the universal health insurance system is valuable not only for society but also for them individually.
With universal health coverage, however, comes major challenges. This workshop will focus on how to ensure effective and sustainable financing of universal health insurance, handle the strain of an aging population on universal health insurance, and increase the awareness of universal health insurance among the missing middle.”
Government officials from ministries of finance or other bodies involved in the health care from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam to attend the event which will comprise six or seven discussion sessions, interactive lectures, and a field trip to show participants how Indonesia implements its national health insurance.
-rmc//
