CapX: We cannot achieve universal health coverage without the private sector
Jeffrey L. Sturchio, CEO at Rabin Martin and co-editor of The Road to Universal Health Coverage: Innovation, Equity and the New Health Economy, and Harald Nusser, head of Novartis Social Business and contributor to The Road to Universal Health Coverage

“…[H]ow countries should go about achieving [universal health coverage (UHC)] — defined as all people having convenient access to quality health services and commodities without the risk of suffering financial harm as a result of illness — is a matter of intense debate. Unfortunately, the discussion has largely ignored one crucial subject: the role the private sector can play in delivering health care for all. … In most lower-income countries, 30-80% of health services are delivered through the private sector. A winning strategy for governments is to identify what’s working well in the delivery of health care in their countries, and then to build on those successes. In many cases this will mean developing or strengthening partnerships between both the public health system and the private sector. … Such public-private approaches also include partnerships with faith-based organizations that have long been a critical source of health care in low-income countries. … Developing the partnerships necessary to achieve UHC requires sustained engagement from political leaders who are willing to be creative, put new ways of working in practice, and listen to and respond to the needs of citizens…” (7/25).