Primary Health Care (PHC) is widely recognised as the cornerstone of equitable and resilient health systems, offering an essential route toward achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). In Latin America, the persistence of deep social and health inequalities,...
The socioeconomic and health system determinants of financial protection indicators: a global systematic review (2008–2023)
Financial protection is a cornerstone of Universal Health Coverage, yet millions of households worldwide continue to face catastrophic or impoverishing health expenditures. Understanding who is most vulnerable is essential for designing equitable policies and...
No shortcuts to universal health coverage: lessons from accountability initiatives
Universal health coverage (UHC) has long been a global health priority, reaffirmed in multiple international commitments since 2015. Yet despite political momentum, progress has stalled, with 4.5 billion people still lacking access to essential health services and...
Government healthcare financing and dwindling oil prices: Any alternatives for OPEC countries?
In this article from 2023, Salem Al Mustanyir explores the effect of a fall in oil prices on healthcare financing in eight Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The analysis shows that in three of the eight countries, health financing did shift...
Prices and affordability of essential medicines in 72 low-, middle-, and high-income markets
Access to essential medicines, as defined by the World Health Organization, is a cornerstone of universal health coverage. Yet, many people worldwide face high out-of-pocket costs or limited availability, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Understanding...
Did health reform improve financial protection for disadvantaged groups in Ecuador? A socio-economic inequality assessment of catastrophic health expenditures 2006-2014
In BMJ Open, Edy Quizhpe Ordóñez, Miguel San Sebastian, Enrique Teran, and Anni-Maria Pulkki-Brännström present a socio-economic inequality assessment of Ecuador’s health reforms from 2006 to 2014. The study evaluates whether the reforms—which made public health...
Financial toxicity of hemophilia care in Southeast Asian countries
In their recent Viewpoint published in The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia, authors Jose Marco Antonio II, Stephanie Wang, Frederic Ivan L. Ting, Jeremiah R. Vallente, Edward Christopher Dee, and Erin Jay G. Feliciano examine the pressing issue of financial...
Public Vs. Private Health Insurance in Germany
In Germany, every resident must have health insurance, choosing between public statutory insurance, which is income-based, covers essential care, and includes dependents at no extra cost, or private insurance, which offers modular plans with potentially faster access...
Integration of refugees into national health systems: Enhancing equity and strengthening sustainable health services for all
In their open-access article published in Conflict and Health, Fadi El-Jardali, Sara Bennett, and Paul Spiegel examine how low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) can integrate refugees into national health systems as part of efforts to achieve universal health...
Healthcare managers’ perspectives on direct health facility financing in Tanzania
Health financing reforms are crucial for improving efficiency, transparency, and service delivery in low- and middle-income countries, where health systems often operate under tight resource constraints. In Tanzania, the Direct Health Facility Financing (DHFF)...
Navigating health financing cliffs: a new era in global health
In a Comment published in The Lancet, Kumanan Rasanathan, Maylene M Beltran, Alberta A Biritwum-Nyarko, Mark S Blechner, Mark Dybul, Hajime Inoue, and colleagues raise the alarm on the steep decline in development assistance for health and the deepening crisis it has...
Exploring the facilitators and barriers to achieving universal health coverage in Uganda: a qualitative study of the free healthcare policy
Published in Health Research Policy and Systems by BMC (part of Springer Nature), this qualitative study titled "Exploring the facilitators and barriers to achieving universal health coverage in Uganda: a qualitative study of the free healthcare policy" offers...
Public-Private-Partnerships for Primary Care in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh: Lessons on pathways and drivers
In their recent publication in The International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Shehla Zaidi, A. Venkat Raman, Mahbub Elahi Chowdhury, Farooq Azam, and Priya Balasubramanium examine the evolution and implementation of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in...
A UK wealth tax for better health
In the face of deepening health inequalities and a crisis of underfunding in the UK’s National Health Service, a growing body of experts argues that it is time to revisit the idea of a wealth tax. With over four million children living in relative poverty, and with...
Leveraging health financing, digital health and self-care approaches to strengthen maternal health journeys in India: perspectives from Assam
Published by Frontiers in Global Women's Health on April 9, 2025, the Perspective article "Leveraging health financing, digital health and self-care approaches to strengthen maternal health journeys in India: perspectives from Assam" offers a comprehensive view on...