According to IBON, national and local government share of total health expenditures fell to 30.3 percent in 2004 compared to 40.6 percent in 2000.
The 10 percent drop, IBON research head Sonny Africa said was validated by the data on the latest Philippine national health accounts. It showed that between 2000 and 2004, government spending fell from 41 percent to 30 percent, while individual's out-of-pocket spending grew from 41 percent to 47 percent.
The decline in government spending has forced Filipinos to make up the difference from private sources, particularly from out-of-pocket spending, the study reported.
Africa added that real government health spending per Filipino fell by 18.6 percent from 2001 to 2005.
"Although allocations for health had started to recover since then, health budgets are still not enough to provide a decent standard of health care for Filipinos, particularly for the poorest families," Africa said.
He also scored the privatization programs of the government. He said the budget cuts of government state hospitals and commercialization of health services have pushed health care out of the reach of the poorest Filipinos.
"It should not be surprising that one of every two Filipinos dies without ever receiving medical attention," Africa added
