* Phase two of Economist Impact's Health Inclusivity Index, supported by

    Haleon, measures experience of health inclusion across 42,000 people in 40
    countries
  * Health inclusivity scores fall worldwide with addition of lived experience
    data, exposing glaring policy-practice gap in wealthy countries
  * 66% of survey respondents experience barriers to health inclusion, with the
    most vulnerable worst affected
  * Index reveals stark generational divide with Gen Z and Millennials
    experiencing greater barriers to access and higher levels of discrimination

LONDON, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- More than three in five people
worldwide experience health exclusion, with vulnerable and younger populations
the worst affected, according to phase two of the global Health Inclusivity
Index from Economist Impact, supported by consumer health company Haleon.
This year's study - which measures the extent and experience of health inclusion
across 40 countries and 42,000 people - revealed that 66% of those surveyed face
at least one barrier in accessing healthcare services. Lack of available
appointments; inconvenient hours; distance and cost of travel; and lack of trust
in healthcare services were the most widely reported barriers. Alarmingly, the
Index also revealed that one in five people worldwide (20%) lack access to
mental health services in their community, while 17% lack access to sexual
health services.
The study suggests that younger generations face particular issues, with almost
half of Gen Z (45%) stating their quality of care has been compromised as a
result of their age, health status, or other personal factors, compared with
19% of Baby Boomers. Almost a third of Gen Z (28%) and Millennials (32%) report
that their pain or health conditions are not taken seriously by healthcare
professionals. While almost a quarter of Gen Z (21%) and Millennials (22%)
report they've been completely denied access to healthcare, compared with just
8% of Baby Boomers.
Besides appointment hours and availability, together with distance and cost to
travel, Gen Z are the most likely to cite lack of trust in healthcare providers
and fear of discrimination as major obstacles when seeking healthcare services.
44% of Gen Z also cited social media as a trusted source of health information
and advice - the highest proportion amongst all generations surveyed.
The most vulnerable populations, namely people from marginalised groups and
those with chronic health conditions, also report being denied access to
healthcare (26%). Discrimination is a key barrier, with more than a quarter
(27%) of those from marginalised groups and people with chronic health
conditions experiencing this when interacting with healthcare providers.
Sarah McDonald, VP Sustainability and Social Impact, Haleon, said: "With the
Index revealing high rates of health exclusion worldwide, more action is needed
to overcome the barriers, particularly for vulnerable populations. These latest
findings reveal a clear gap between policy and experience, as the inclusive
health ambitions of many of the world's wealthiest countries are out of step
with the reality of their citizens. As we saw in phase one of the research, the
Index demonstrates that empowering people and communities to take care of their
health is key. A greater focus on community services, self-care and health
literacy programmes can boost inclusion, bringing better everyday health within
reach of more people."
The first phase of the Index, launched in 2022, examined the presence, coverage
and effectiveness of inclusive healthcare systems, policies and programmes. The
research methodology for 2023's phase two study has been enhanced to include an
assessment of people's experience of these inputs - by capturing insights from
42,000 people to understand their experiences of health inclusion or exclusion.
With the addition of this lived experience data, health inclusivity scores have
deteriorated under phase two of the Index across 85% of the countries surveyed.
For example, the UK's score fell by 13%, falling from first to third place,
behind Australia and Sweden. With all but one country scoring below 80 out of
100, it's clear that governments and policymakers have a long way to go in
tackling health exclusion.
The declining scores year-on-year expose a policy-practice gap between
governments' ambitions of delivering inclusive health policies and systems and
people's real-life experience of them. High income countries display the largest
gaps, with an average 18-point difference between their scores on inclusive
health policies and people's real-life experience, with Germany showing the
greatest discrepancy. This reveals that many of the world's wealthiest nations
are struggling to deliver inclusive health policies and systems effectively,
with marginalised and vulnerable populations at greatest risk of exclusion.
Jonathan Birdwell, Global Head of Policy and Insights, Economist Impact, said:
"Measuring a country's ability to provide quality healthcare involves evaluating
its policy but also its population's ability to use their healthcare services.
That's why we are pleased to add lived-experience indicators to Economist
Impact's Health Inclusivity Index. The results of this phase of the Index show
that high-income countries still have a lot of improvements to make if they are
to effectively turn their policy into action."
In common with last year's findings, phase two of the Index concludes that
empowering people and communities to have greater agency over their own health
is a key driver of inclusion. Low-and-middle income countries outperform
wealthier countries in this area due to their focus on community-based services,
self-care and health literacy programmes. For example, 73% of people in low-and-
middle income countries have been given advice or information on managing their
health at home, compared with 65% for high-income countries.
Consequently, low-middle income countries display an average policy-practice gap
of just 3-points and are more effective at ensuring inclusion for marginalised
groups, those with chronic health conditions and Gen Z. The fact that countries
with less developed infrastructure, lower spending and fewer resources are more
effective in delivering population-level health inclusivity in practice is a
rich source of learning for both high-and lower-income countries.
As a global leader in consumer health, Haleon will leverage this and other
learnings from the Index to engage governments, policymakers and partners around
the globe and work together to tackle the biggest barriers to health
inclusivity.
Under phase two of the Health Inclusivity Index, Australia achieves the highest
score, followed by Sweden, UK, USA, France, Israel, Canada, South Korea,
Germany, Switzerland and Thailand. The full findings of the Index can be found
here: https://impact.economist.com/projects/health-inclusivity-index
Media Contacts:

 Haleon Media Contact:                                Economist Impact Media
 Gemma Thomas                                         Contact:
 gemma.x.thomas@haleon.com                            Holly Donahue
 (mailto:gemma.x.thomas@haleon.com)                   hollydonahue@economist.co
 +44 (0) 7721376006                                   m
                                                      (mailto:hollydonahue@econ
                                                      omist.com)

Notes to Editors:
About Haleon and Health Inclusivity
Haleon's social impact goal is to empower millions of people a year to be more
included in opportunities for better everyday health - with the company aiming
to reach 50 million people a year by 2025. During 2022, we empowered more than
22.4 million people.
We have identified three key barriers to health inclusivity that Haleon is well
placed to help address, which are:
? health literacy;
? healthcare accessibility; and
? bias & prejudice
Examples of Haleon's efforts to break down barriers to health inclusivity
include:
Health Literacy:
Our Caltrate calcium supplement brand in China has run several initiatives to
raise awareness of the risks of osteoporosis and how to actively prevent and
manage it. This includes working with Health Professionals to reach more
consumers through online education, in-person outreach and bone density tests.
Healthcare Accessibility:
To help make our brands more accessible, we have collaborated with Microsoft on
expanding the functionality of their Seeing AI app for Haleon products. Seeing
AI is a free mobile app that scans the information on product labels and reads
it out loud. Consumers can scan the barcode on UK and US Haleon products and
hear crucial information such as name, ingredients, and usage instructions.
Bias and Prejudice:
The Advil Pain Equity Project is a long-term commitment to champion equitable
and accessible pain relief in the United States, created by Advil and launched
in partnership with Morehouse School of Medicine and BLKHLTH. The Advil Pain
Equity Project's first campaign, Believe My Pain, is focused on illuminating the
issue of pain inequity in Black communities.
About Haleon
Haleon (LSE / NYSE: HLN) is a global leader in consumer health, with a purpose
to deliver better everyday health with humanity. Haleon's product portfolio
spans five major categories - Oral Health, Pain Relief, Respiratory Health,
Digestive Health and Other, and Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements (VMS). Its
long-standing brands - such as Advil, Sensodyne, Panadol, Voltaren, Theraflu,
Otrivin, Polident, parodontax and Centrum - are built on trusted science,
innovation and deep human understanding.
For more information, please visit www.haleon.com (http://www.haleon.com)
About Economist Impact
Economist Impact combines the rigour of a think-tank with the creativity of a
media brand to engage a globally influential audience. We believe that evidence-
based insights can open debate, broaden perspectives and catalyse progress. The
services offered by Economist Impact previously existed within The Economist
Group as separate entities, including EIU Thought Leadership, EIU Public Policy,
Economist Events, El Studios and SignalNoise. Our track record spans 75 years
across 205 countries. Along with creative storytelling, events expertise,
design-thinking solutions and market-leading media products, we produce
framework design, benchmarking, economic and social impact analysis, forecasting
and scenario modelling, Press Release making Economist Impact's offering unique
in the marketplace. Visit www.economistimpact.com for more information.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a24060d5-eb9b-4fa1-8cbf-
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