2. Introduction: The Challenge of Healthcare Access for the World's Poor

Despite healthcare being a fundamental human right, many people around the world still lack access to necessary medical care. The healthcare access problem is particularly acute for the impoverished.

Due to economic, geographic, social, and informational barriers, countless individuals are marginalized from healthcare services. This chapter will elucidate the challenges of healthcare access faced by the world's poor and demonstrate how AI Checkup can contribute to solving this problem.

2.1. The Current State of Poverty and Healthcare Disparities

According to World Bank estimates, as of 2023, approximately 9.2% of the global population, or about 700 million people, live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $1.90 per day. Many of these people are concentrated in developing regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Poverty is not merely a matter of low income but is closely linked to various factors that adversely affect health, such as malnutrition, poor sanitation, and lack of educational opportunities. As a result, the poor face a higher risk of infectious diseases, chronic diseases, and maternal mortality, and have shorter life expectancies.

Furthermore, there is a significant disparity between the rich and the poor in terms of access to healthcare services. In many developing countries, medical infrastructure is concentrated in urban areas, making it physically difficult for the poor living in rural or remote areas to access medical facilities. Additionally, many countries have high out-of-pocket healthcare costs, making medical care very expensive for the poor.

2.2. Problems with Healthcare Access for the Poor

The problems of healthcare access faced by the poor can be primarily classified into the following four categories:

• Economic barriers: Difficulty paying for medical expenses (consultation fees, examination fees, medication costs, etc.). Many countries have underdeveloped or inadequate health insurance systems, resulting in high out-of-pocket costs. As a result, people are more likely to avoid seeking medical care or interrupt treatment.

• Geographic barriers: Medical facilities are located in remote areas, making it difficult to secure transportation and transportation costs. In rural and mountainous areas in particular, it often takes a long time and a long distance to travel to a medical facility.

• Informational barriers: Lack of information about medical care and health, or difficulty understanding the information, even if it is available. Low literacy rates and language differences also contribute to the information gap. Lack of knowledge necessary for preventing and detecting health problems early.

• Social barriers: Barriers arising from the system and social structure, such as a shortage of healthcare professionals, problems with the quality of medical care, and social prejudice and discrimination. There are also cultural factors that hinder the use of healthcare services, such as reliance on traditional treatments and restrictions on women seeking medical care.

2.3. The Severity of the Problem and its Social Impact

The problem of healthcare access for the poor not only undermines individual health but also has a serious impact on society as a whole:

• Deterioration of health and increased mortality: Failure to receive appropriate treatment can lead to the worsening of diseases and even death that could have been prevented. This is particularly true for children and pregnant women.

• Decreased productivity and economic loss: Loss of labor due to illness reduces individual and family income and adversely affects overall economic growth.

• Loss of educational opportunities: Children who are unable to attend school due to health problems lose educational opportunities, leading to future poverty.

• Reproduction of poverty and widening of disparities: Bankruptcy due to medical expenses can lead to further poverty. The vicious cycle of poverty and health problems perpetuates across generations and solidifies inequality.

2.4. Limitations of Existing Solutions

In recent years, various initiatives have been undertaken to improve healthcare access for the poor. For example, medical support from international organizations and NGOs, expansion of public health insurance systems, and the introduction of telemedicine. However, these initiatives have the following limitations:

• Funding shortages and sustainability issues: International support, in particular, is limited in funding and may not be sustainable.

• Shortage of healthcare professionals: In many developing countries, there is an absolute shortage of medical professionals such as doctors and nurses, and services cannot keep up with demand.

• Infrastructure constraints: In areas with underdeveloped infrastructure such as electricity and the internet, it is difficult to introduce telemedicine.

• User literacy: For people with low technical or health literacy, new technologies and services may be difficult to use.

• Insufficient response to language and culture: Existing telemedicine services often do not adequately address local languages and cultures.

To overcome these challenges and improve healthcare access for the poor in a truly sustainable way, innovative approaches are needed. AI Checkup has the potential to overcome the limitations of existing solutions and provide high-quality healthcare access to the world's poor by utilizing AI and mobile technology.