Growing debt burden in low- and middle-income countries during COVID-19 may constrain health financing.
Glob Health Action
; 15(1): 2072461, 2022 12 31.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1900942
ABSTRACT
Debt burdens are growing steadily in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), compounded by the COVID-19 economic recession, threatening to crowd out essential health spending. In 2019, 54 LMICs spent more on servicing their debt to foreign creditors than on financing their health services. While development loans may have positive effects on population health, the ensuing debt servicing requirements may have detrimental effects on health through constrained fiscal space for government health spending. However, the existing evidence is inadequate for an understanding of whether, and if so how and under what circumstances, debt may constrain government health spending. We call for more research on the impacts of debt on health financing and call on creditors and borrowers to carefully consider the potential impacts of lending on borrower countries' ability to finance their health services.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Healthcare Financing
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Observational study
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Glob Health Action
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
16549716.2022.2072461
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS