Suriname is located on the northern coast of the South American continent, north of Brazil and between Guyana and French Guiana. Previously a Dutch colony, Suriname achieved independence in 1975. Health is a constitutional right in Suriname. Article 36 of the constitution further stipulates that the government is responsible promoting health. The National Basic Health Insurance Act of 2014 mandates that every resident in Suriname have basic health insurance. For formal sector employees, premiums are shared with employers. Self-employed individuals subscribe, and the government subsidizes health coverage for those with low or no income.
Data on health expenditure
Current challenges and solutions
Improving equity and sustainable financing for Suriname’s health sector could be approached by increasing the government’s contribution to CHE. A 2018 study commissioned by PAHO suggests that one way to increase fiscal space would be to reduce energy subsidies and implement taxation of goods which impact health (health taxes). The 2019 strategic health plan speaks to reforming the health system by moving away from an inefficient and unsustainable biomedical disease focus to a primary health care model.
References
[1] World Health Organization, Global Health Expenditure Database, Health Expenditure Profile (choose country)