Britain falls from top spot in Economist Impact’s latest health inclusion index

The second phase of the index, supported by Halleon, assesses 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 global organizations to advance their missions, today launched the second phase of the program. Health Inclusion Indexsupports Haleon (LSE /NYSE: HLN), a global leader in consumer health. The results of this phase show that health inclusion is declining globally, and especially Britain coming down from his top spot in the first round.

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

Scoring 40 countries against 58 individual indicators in three areas (Health in Society, Inclusive Health Systems, and Empowering People and Communities), the index aims to assess the inclusive health policy landscape, the existence of key systems and infrastructure, in addition to empowerment efforts. individuals and communities to navigate health systems and expand access for marginalized and vulnerable populations.

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

Key findings from Phase 2 of the Health Inclusion Index include:

• 85% of countries’ inclusion scores worsened between Phase 1 and Phase 2, indicating a clear gap between policy and implementation. Effective and inclusive health systems require strong policy frameworks and meaningful implementation of these measures in practice.
• Britain has become the most health inclusive country when health policy is compared to experience on the ground. While policy is an important foundation for health, it is the effective implementation of policies and people’s experiences of them that will reduce inequalities and improve population health outcomes.
• High-income countries have large gaps between their inclusive health policies and citizens’ experiences of them. In contrast, low- and middle-income countries have a smaller gap (a United Arab Emirates is the only high-income country that does not follow this trend). While high-income countries have made progress in developing and enacting ambitious inclusive health policies, this drive has resulted in a policy-practice gap that will require focus, effort, and resources to close.
• Marginalized groups in health face the greatest risk of exclusion when there are gaps between health policy and policy experience. But this is avoidable and requires targeted interventions designed in collaboration with the populations they aim to target.
• More than three out of five respondents to the Global Health Inclusion Survey experienced barriers to accessing health services. The most common barriers include missing appointments, travel distance and cost, and lack of trust in health services.
• Younger respondents are more likely to say they have been denied access to health care, and to cite trust and cost as barriers to getting care. More than one-fifth (21%) of Gen Z and millennial respondents have lost access to care, compared to 14% of older respondents.
• Low- and lower-middle-income countries are promoting greater inclusion through community-based health services. Respondents in low- and lower-middle-income countries are almost 10 percentage points more likely to use the five basic community-based services covered in the index.

The top ten of the Health Inclusion Index are as follows: Australia, SwedenGreat Britain, USA, France, Israel, Canada, South Korea, Germany, Switzerland and: Thailand. With all but one country scoring below 80, it is clear that significant efforts are needed to truly implement health inclusion.

Jonathan BirdwellGlobal Head, Policy & Insights, Economist Impact, says“Measuring a country’s ability to provide quality health care includes assessing its policies as well as the ability of its population to access their health services. That’s why we’re excited to add lived experience indicators to Economist Impact’s Health Inclusion Index. The results of this round of the Index show that high-income countries still have a lot of improvement to make if they are to effectively translate their policies into action.”

For the full report, visit: https://impact.economist.com/projects/health-inclusive-index

About Economist Impact
Economist Impact combines the rigor of a think tank with the creativity of a media brand to engage an influential global audience. We believe that evidence-based insights can open debate, broaden perspectives and drive 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 experience spans 75 years in 205 countries. Along with creative storytelling, event expertise, design thinking solutions and market-leading media products, we produce scoping, benchmarking, economic and social impact analysis, forecasting and scenario modeling, making Economist Impact’s offering unique in the market. For more information, visit www.economistimpact.com.

About Haleon
Haleon (LSE: /NYSE: HLN:) is a global leader in consumer health with the goal of bringing better everyday health to humanity. Halleon the product portfolio includes five main categories – oral health, pain relief, respiratory health, digestive health, etc., 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 human on deep understanding.

For more information, please visit www.haleon.com.

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