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The WHO Centre for Health Development (WHO Kobe Centre – WKC) has released a series of research briefs on financing long-term care (LTC) to guide policymakers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Brief 6, “Financing Health and Social Long-Term Care: Lessons for LMICs,” focuses on ensuring financial protection in LTC. It highlights the challenges older adults face in affording LTC services without sufficient savings or financial protection and underscores the disproportionate impact on poor individuals and women.

The brief emphasizes the effectiveness of universal LTC systems with generous benefits in providing financial protection and reducing out-of-pocket expenses. It calls for targeted coverage for complex needs, such as dementia and stroke, and advocates for limiting individual maximum payments and eliminating benefit caps to protect older adults from catastrophic spending. The WKC’s research aims to promote sustainable LTC financing to achieve universal health coverage for older adults.