Global South Health Coverage Under Threat: South Africa at G20

Johannesburg, Mar 26 (PTI) Universal health coverage in the Global South is under threat because of decreased financing as funds are being diverted for other priorities, host South Africa told the second G20 Health Working Group meeting here on Wednesday.

The three-day G20 Health Working Group (HWG) meeting is part of a series of countrywide G20 events taking place throughout this year as South Africa holds the presidency of the G20.

“Constraints we are witnessing (include) a concerning trend of declining global health budgets, simultaneously with rising costs,” South African Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi told the opening event in KwaZulu-Natal province.

“This is particularly acute in the Global South, where many nations are burdened by unsustainable debt servicing. These step repayments are effectively cannibalising vital health budgets, leaving millions without access to essential health services,” the minister said.

“We must reverse this trend and accelerate progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC). We must invest in accessible, affordable and comprehensive primary health care for all,” Motsoaledi told the meeting, the theme for which is ‘Accelerate Health Equity, Solidarity and Universal Coverage”.

The minister called on the G20 members to acknowledge that spending on health is not a cost but an investment.

“We must advocate for greater allocation of national budgets to health, ensuring efficient and equitable spending,” he said, adding that debt relief and restructuring for many nations was no longer a luxury but a necessity. “We must explore mechanisms that allow countries to reallocate resources towards health.”

“We must prioritise public health over competing interests, ensuring that adequate resources are allocated to meet the health needs of our populations.

“Furthermore, we must all align our efforts with the provisions of the Lusaka agreement, which emphasises the importance of strengthening health systems and promoting equitable access to health care,” Motsoaledi said.

“South Africa is committed to collaborating with all the G20 members to achieve our shared goals. Let us work together to ensure that health remains a priority, not a commodity, especially during these unstable economic times,” Motsoaledi concluded.

Apart from various critical health issues, including financial protection for UHC and sustaining health financing, also on the agenda are bridging the equity gap to accelerate addressing the burden of Non-Communicable Diseases.

In the spotlight is also expected to be a response to the Global Health financing emergency following the decision by US President Donald Trump to halt billions of dollars of health funding worldwide.