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THE low
priority the Arroyo government places on health has
branded the Philippines among the worst in the world
when it comes to providing health services to its
people, according to independent think tank IBON
Foundation.
The
World Health Organization (WHO), in its World Health
Statistics 2007, gave the Philippines dismal rankings in
various health-provision indicators.
Among
192 countries, the
Philippines
ranks 153rd in terms of government spending on health as
a share of a country’s total health spending. Filipinos
have increasingly relied on out-of-pocket expenses on
health, as
against government allocation. The country also ranks
156th in terms of the share of the government budget
going to health.
In the
proposed 2008 national budget, only 1.5 percent of the
total budget will go to health. Total health budget for
2008 is P22.9 billion, equivalent to just 0.31 percent
of GDP. The health budget was marginally better at 0.58
percent of GDP in 1997 and 0.74 percent in 1990.
However,
health budgets still fall well below the 5 percent of
GDP that should be committed to health spending
recommended by the WHO.
IBON
points out that the per-capita health spending in the
proposed 2008 budget is just P253 per Filipino, further
highlighting how government is taking the least
responsibility for meeting its citizens’ health needs.
IBON
Foundation Inc. is an independent development
institution established in 1978 that provides research,
education, publications, information work and advocacy
support on socioeconomic issues. |
