Stop all development finance funding for private healthcare
Jun 30, 2023
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Two new reports reveal how billions in development finance that should be helping ensure people living in poverty have access to healthcare is instead being channelled into expensive, out of reach for-profit hospitals in lower-income countries that block access, bankrupt patients, or violate rights, with some even imprisoning patients who cannot afford to pay.
The reports also document significant gaps in disclosures, impact reporting, transparency and accountability and both catalogue different types of patients’ rights abuses committed at these hospitals. Oxfam raises the concern that instead of progress towards advancing universal health coverage, these types of investments risk doing the opposite.
We are calling on governments and the WBG to put a stop to all future direct and indirect DFI funding to private healthcare, as well as hold an urgent, independent investigation into all current and historical healthcare investments.
For a brief summary of the findings, please see the Oxfam press release here and the reports.