Eswatini’s National Health Financing Policy (NHFP) for 2015-2022 aims to secure sustainable healthcare funding, ensure financial protection, improve resource efficiency, and provide equitable access to healthcare. A key initiative is the mandatory National Health Insurance Fund to achieve UHC.
Eswatini’s health sector faces significant challenges in securing adequate funds to combat a high disease burden. To address this, the Ministry of Health (MOH) developed the National Health Financing Policy (NHFP) for 2015-2022. This policy aims to introduce new healthcare financing models and strengthen the MOH’s capacity. Key findings identified four major concerns in Eswatini’s health financing:
- long-term funding sustainability
- lack of financial protection for all citizens
- inefficient resource use,
- and inequitable healthcare access.
The NHFP’s vision is to ensure “Affordable health care and protection from catastrophic expenditure for all Swazis.” It focuses on four thematic areas:
- Sustainable Healthcare Financing
- Financial Risk Protection
- Efficiency in Resource Allocation and Use
- Equitable Access to Healthcare Services
A pivotal outcome of the policy is the introduction of a mandatory National Health Insurance Fund to help achieve UHC. The policy also stresses efficiency, equity, and the mobilization of additional healthcare resources. Implementation considerations include regulatory, institutional, and monitoring and evaluation frameworks essential for success.