Reconnect public health with people’s needs

Public health policies, like other public policies, are crucial in determining the overall health of the population and are an important contributor to a nation seeking to reap the benefits of its demographic dividend. One of the major claims of health policies in recent years has been the achievement of universal health coverage (UHC), a novel idea that seeks to ensure that every individual has access to needed health services without suffering financial hardship. Yet, populist ideas often dominate public policy despite evidence to the contrary, as seen in the case of publicly funded health insurance schemes. The changing nature of public health policy in recent years is particularly concerning, not only because it has often failed to be evidence-based, but also because of its inability to guarantee even minimal health benefits to the population.