On World Health Day 2018, WHO called on all countries to make universal health coverage (UHC) a political priority, using available evidence and tools to determine their own path to health for all. Slovenia celebrated World Health Day in several ways: by hosting a conference for stakeholders, by communicating with the media and by organizing a public advisory meeting with the Minister of Health.
The conference, organized by the WHO Country Office in Slovenia together with the National Institute for Public Health (NIJZ) and the Ministry of Health, was entitled “UHC – How well are people covered in Slovenia?” It gathered policy-makers, health analysts and economists, journalists, and representatives of providers, payers, physician and nurse professional associations, and patient organizations. All have an interest in and a role to play in health and access to health care.
Jožica Maučec Zakotnik, State Secretary of the Ministry of Health, introduced the conference by pointing out that UHC means not only access to health care in case of disease, but also the protection and promotion of health. Health protection and promotion are key public health functions and must be guaranteed at the country level.
Nina Pirnat, Director of NIJZ, said that maintaining good health is the best investment for a contemporary society, based on the values of solidarity, social inclusion and the reduction of socioeconomic disparities.
Darina Sedlakova, Head of the WHO Country Office in Slovenia, highlighted that UHC ensures that all people can use quality health services, where and when they need them, without experiencing financial hardship. UHC is crucial to people’s health and well-being. Where health systems fail to provide adequate financial protection, people are forced to choose between health care and other basic needs. This undermines access to services, lowers health status, deepens poverty and exacerbates inequalities. She also recalled that WHO celebrates its 70th birthday in 2018, and that the campaign for UHC underlines the core values and principles of the Organization.
Tit Albreht of NIJZ presented key findings on access to health care in Slovenia. The analysis, performed in collaboration with WHO/Europe, showed that Slovenia is a highly equitable society and provides its citizens with almost 100% UHC. Health services at both individual and population levels are funded from public sources. Challenges in Slovenia include long waiting lists for some surgical interventions.
Mircha Poldrugovac of NIJZ presented the opinions of patients regarding the accessibility of health services, noting that they complained about shortages in the health workforce in the less-developed eastern part of the country.
Jonathan Cylus of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) (United Kingdom) and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies highlighted that in the international comparison of UHC in various European countries, Slovenia performs very well. Everyone is covered, essential services in benefits package are of sufficient quality and accessibility, outcomes are good given spending levels, unmet needs are low and financial protection is among the best in Europe.
Key activities for improving UHC in Slovenia must focus on vertical and horizontal integration between individual levels of health-care providers; on improving the transfer of knowledge between the levels and between different health profiles; and on linking the health and social care sectors. This will enable more comprehensive and better-integrated care for patients, more effective rehabilitation and reintegration of patients, and at the same time better use of financial and human resources.
At her meeting with Jonathan Cylus and Darina Sedlakova at the Ministry of Health, Minister of Health Milojka Kolar Celarc stated: “The joint work of the Ministry of Health, WHO/Europe and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies on the comprehensive review of the Slovene health system in 2015 was seen as a prerequisite to strengthening UHC.” Since then, the country has endorsed a series of legislative norms to foster good governance, sound systems of procurement and supplies of medicines and health technologies, and well functioning health information systems.
Patients’ rights and obligations, appropriate and safe medical treatment and increased investments in health care infrastructure have gained the support of the whole Government, which calls for cost–effectiveness and equity in health care.