Britain falls from top spot in Economist Impact’s latest Health Inclusiveness Index

The second phase of the index, supported by Haleon, evaluates the efforts of governments in 40 countries to ensure that good health is accessible to all individuals.

LONDON, November 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ – Economist Impact, an arm of The Economist Group that works with organizations around the world to advance their missions, today launched the second phase of Health Inclusiveness Indexsupported by Haleon (LSE/NYSE: HLN), a global leader in consumer health. The results of this phase show the inclusiveness of health in the world, and in particular Great Britain fall from its first place in the first phase.

The index measures health inclusiveness, which is defined as the process of removing personal, social, cultural and political barriers that prevent individuals and communities from experiencing good physical and mental health.

Evaluating 40 countries against 58 individual indicators in three domains (Health in Society, Inclusive Health Systems and Empowerment of people and communities), the index aims to assess the policy landscape of inclusive health, the availability of key systems and infrastructure, in addition to efforts for empowerment. individuals and communities to navigate health systems and expand access to marginalized and vulnerable populations.

The second phase of the index incorporates lived experience and measures the real-world implementation of inclusive health policy through a survey of more than 42,000 adults in 40 countries.

Key outcomes of phase 2 of the Health Inclusiveness Index include:

• 85% of countries’ inclusiveness scores deteriorated between phase 1 and phase 2, showing that there is a clear gap between policy and implementation. Effective and inclusive health systems require the implementation of strong policy frameworks and meaningful implementation of these measures in practice.
• Great Britain has fallen as the most inclusive health country when health policies are compared with the experience on the ground. While policy is an important foundation for health, it is the effective implementation of policies, and the experience of people, that reduces inequity and improves health outcomes for populations.
• High-income countries have a large gap between their inclusive health policies and the experience of citizens. In contrast, low- and middle-income countries have a smaller difference (u United Arab Emirates is the only high-income country that does not follow this trend). Although high-income countries have made progress in developing and establishing ambitious health policies aimed at inclusion, this push has led to a gap in policy practice that will require focus, effort and resources to close. .
• Marginalized groups face the greatest risk of exclusion in health when gaps exist between health policy and policy experience. But this is avoidable and requires the implementation of targeted interventions, which must be designed in collaboration with the populations they aim to target.
• More than three in five respondents in the global health inclusiveness survey experienced barriers to accessing health care. The most common barriers include lack of available appointments, distance and cost of travel and lack of trust in health services.
• Younger respondents are more likely to say they have been denied access to health care and to see trust and cost as barriers to receiving care. More than one in five (21%) Gen Z and millennial respondents were denied access to care, compared to 14% of older respondents.
• Low- and lower-middle-income countries foster greater inclusiveness through community-based health care services. Respondents in low- and lower-middle-income countries were nearly 10 percentage points more likely to have access to the five core services located at the community level considered in the index.

The top ten rankings of the Health Inclusiveness Index are as follows: Australia, SwedenUK, USA, France, Israel, Canada, South Korea, Germany, Switzerland and Thailand. With all but one country scoring below 80, it is clear that a significant effort is needed to truly embed health inclusivity.

Jonathan BirdwellGlobal Head, Policy & Insights, Economist Impact, says: “Measuring a country’s ability to provide quality health care involves evaluating its policy, but also the ability of its population to use its health care services. That is why we are pleased to add indicators of the lived experience of the Economist Impact Health Inclusiveness Index. The results of this phase of the index show that high-income countries still have a lot of improvement to make if they are to transform effectively his policy in action.”

To access the full report, visit: https://impact.economist.com/projects/health-inclusivity-index

About the Economist Impact
Economist Impact combines the rigor of a think-tank with the creativity of a media brand to engage an influential audience around the world. We believe that evidence-based insights can open debate, broaden perspectives and catalyze progress. The services offered by Economist Impact previously existed within the Economist Group as separate entities, including EIU Thought Leadership, EIU Public Policy, Economist Events, El Studios and SignalNoise.

Our history is 75 years in 205 countries. Along with creative storytelling, event expertise, design solutions and market-leading media products, we produce framework design, benchmarking, economic and social impact analysis, forecasting and scenario modeling, delivering the offer of Economist Impact unique in the market. Visit www.economistimpact.com for more information.

About Haleon
Haleon (LSE /NYSE: HLN) is a global leader in consumer health, with the goal of providing better health every day with humanity. of Haleon The product portfolio consists of five main ones categories – Oral Health, Pain Relief, Respiratory Health, Digestive Health and Other, and Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements (VMS). Its long-standing brands – such as Advil, Sensodyne, Panadol, Voltaren, Theraflu, Otrivin, Polident, parodontax and Centrum – are built on trusted science, innovation and deep human understanding.

For more information, visit www.haleon.com.

SOURCE Economist Impact