Your money or your life – Will leaders act now to save lives and make health care free in poor countries?

User fees for health care are a life or death issue for millions of people in poor countries. Too poor to pay, women and children are paying with their lives. People who cannot pay are often imprisoned in hospitals until their families can clear their bills. Over 100 million are pushed into poverty each year. User fees for health care continue to exist in most poor countries despite rarely contributing more than 5% of running costs for health services.