Singer Jewel is urging world leaders to provide more affordable healthcare options for their citizens after once nearly dying of a kidney infection she couldn't afford to treat.

The "Who Will Save Your Soul" hitmaker fell on hard times while struggling to launch a career in the entertainment industry and Jewel admits one of her first "luxuries" to go was her healthcare.

But now she's able to provide for herself and her family, the new mum admits she'll forever appreciate her good fortune as it allows her to seek medical help at any time - and she wants the same for all of her fans.

Speaking about what she values most, she tells Life & Style magazine, "To see a doctor any time I wanted, even if my insurance didn't cover it... That was huge for me. Having been homeless for a year and almost dying of a kidney infection I couldn't afford to treat, I still consider being able to afford medicine and doctors' visits as two of my greatest luxuries."