Lower-income nations record increase in health spending: WHO

Spending related to health has increased in lower and medium-income countries. The rate has increased to six percent in lower-income countries where as in higher-income countries it soared to four percent.

Hyderabad: Lower and middle-income countries have posted an increase of six percent in health related spending this year as compared to last year, a World Health Organisation (WHO) report on global health expenditure said.

However in case of high-income countries, the spending soared to four percent, the report said, adding that, people are paying too much for health out of their pockets.

The global health expenditure report further said, the total amount of aid given to middle-income countries has increased but aid for capita has decreased.

About half of donor funds for health and about 20 percent of public spending is spent towards HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

Nearly one-third of domestic public spending is aimed at injuries and non-communicable diseases, the report said.

The Global Health Expenditure Database (GHED) has been providing internationally comparable data on health spending of 194 countries since 2000.