The Rockefeller Foundation has unveileda 100-million dollar initiative to make health care much more accessible indeveloping countries.
The"Transforming Health Systems" project aims to help countries in Africa and Asiathat lack the latest treatments and technology; and where many people areforced to pay their medical bills out of pocket.
RockefellerFoundation President Judith Rodin spoke to VOA from Nairobi where theinitiative was launched Wednesday.
"Whilehealth spending has increased dramatically around the world, what is very clearis that access to affordable quality health services has not. And that that'sparticularly true in developing countries," she says.
Shesays, "In many places, financial support, cures, treatments can't reach thepeople who need them the most because the delivery mechanisms are clogged.They're congested and confusing."
TheWorld Health Organization says about 125 million people spend nearly half theirannual incomes on health care due to inadequate health systems. It also says"catastrophic health expenditures" push 25 million families back into povertyannually.
"Werecognize that if health systems themselves are not improved, the healthservices are not going to reach the people who are most desperate forthem. Or, it will just be so costly thatpeople won't even try to seek care,' she says.
"First,to equip governments with the technology, the training, the talent, the toolsto improve their health systems?. Second, to broker partnerships between thepublic sector and non-profits, NGOs, religious groups and the private healthservice providers?. Third, and absolutely crucial, is really expanding the useof e-Health," she says.
TheRockefeller Foundation efforts to enhance e-Health involve improvinginformation technologies "including mobile phones, health records andintegrated health information systems."
"Thereare many countries around the world that haven't yet invested in technology,"she says.
"Obviously, our resources have shrunkas others have as well, but we are passionately committed to this issue?.Supporting some of these very significant efforts even during the hardest oftimes, maybe especially during the hardest of times," she says.