SDG 3.8.1_Coverage Of Essential Health Services For The Philippines
Author: Lisa Grace S. Bersales, Ph.D
Abstract:
Indicator 3.8.1 on coverage of essential health services is an important indicator for the Philippines to monitor its progress in ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for Filipinos of all ages (Sustainable Development Goal 3). The Philippines, however, does not measure this indicator. Instead, it publishes two proxy indicators – the percentage of the population covered by social health insurance (indicator 3.8.s1) and out-of-pocket health spending as a percentage of total health expenditure (indicator 3.8.s2). The World Health Organization has developed a methodology for measuring indicator 3.8.1 and has published its value for the Philippines for 2017. This study illustrates that using data from available sources in the Philippines, indicator 3.8.1 can be computed by the Philippines. Given available data with updates for 2019, the study computed indicator 3.8.1 and showed that there had been progress for the Philippines on the coverage of essential health services from 2017 to 2019.
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