Implications of U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization on health financing in Africa
The U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) could severely impact global health financing, especially in Africa, where its previous contributions supported vital health programs for HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, tuberculosis, and malaria. This...
Tanzania, Korea explore ways to make UHC work
Tanzania has partnered with Korea's KOICA to enhance its health sector through a knowledge-sharing initiative, focusing on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and technical assistance from Korea's Q-Deep program. The collaboration aims to develop a comprehensive...
Advocates push to end benefit cuts for hospitalised New Zealanders
New Zealanders facing long hospital stays risk financial stress due to a policy that cuts benefits after 13 weeks. Advocates call for reforms to support patients' needs. Rising healthcare costs add to the burden, prompting a public petition for changes to ensure...
Italy strengthens health-care rights for homeless people
Homeless individuals in Italy face significant health challenges due to poor access to care. A new law enacted in November 2024 aims to improve their access to general practitioners, addressing health inequities and ensuring their right to health care, while also...
Revising SDG indicator 3.8.2: A new approach to measuring financial protection in health
SDG indicator 3.8.2 has been revised to better capture financial hardship from health costs, now measuring out-of-pocket spending over 40% of discretionary income to reflect poverty impact. SDG indicator 3.8.2 is designed to measure financial protection in health—an...
Belize Prime Minister announces nationwide Health Insurance rollout
The Prime Minister of Belize announces full National Health Insurance (NHI) rollout by the end of 2025. The NHI has been implemented in phases and now will reach the entire population with the goal of bringing affordable quality health care to all Belizeans.In May...
Health ¬financing challenges and institutional options to move towards universal coverage in Nicaragua
This paper, published by the World Health Organization in 2010, provides an analysis of the Nicaraguan health financing system. Country performance was assessed using selected health financing performance indicators. The analysis revealed health financing system...
Healthcare financing in Singapore: Interview with DPM Gan and Health Minister Ong
Singapore’s healthcare system balances government subsidies, individual savings, and insurance to ensure affordability and discourage overuse, rather than offering free healthcare funded entirely by taxpayers. Rising costs prompt ongoing efforts to expand capacity,...
Saving Australia’s universal healthcare system?
Australian healthcare is in a crisis where inadequate funding and a shortage of professionals have led to rising costs and difficulty accessing essential services. As the nation approaches elections, debates about the future of universal healthcare intensify,...
Public Health Financing in Latin America
The set of articles that make up this publication from the University of São Paulo (Brazil) aims to investigate the economic aspects of health service provision in six Latin American countries. The book, published in 2044, contains quantitative and qualitative...
Underinsured? 75% in India have health policies below Rs 1 million cover
A recent study indicates that 75% of health insurance buyers in India have coverage of Rs 10 lakh or less, with many underestimating healthcare costs and a significant portion unaware of term insurance benefits. Despite an 18% growth in term insurance in FY24, a lack...
Budget allocation for Brazil’s Unified Health System to increase by 6.2% in 2025
Summary: Recent budget discussions in Brazil indicate that the allocation to the Unified Health System (SUS) will increase by 6.2% compared to 2024. The major areas for growth are for primary health care as well as for specialized care.Brazil’s Unified Health System...
Universal health coverage in fragile and conflict-affected States: insights from Somalia
A new open-access research article published in the International Journal for Equity in Health examines Somalia’s progress toward achieving universal health coverage (UHC) in the context of ongoing fragility and conflict. Titled "Universal health coverage in fragile...
Experts call for health taxes, double spending to reform Pakistan’s primary healthcare system
Experts have proposed comprehensive reforms to Pakistan’s primary healthcare system, advocating for health taxes, a shift to prepayment financing, and increased public health spending to improve access and reduce financial burdens on households. The symposium...
Financing the cost of health care in Jamaica
The Jamaican Ministry of Health and Wellness published a discussion paper on health financing for UHC in July, 2023. The paper aimed to stimulate broad public discussion on sustainable financing of the health sector as the country strives towards achieving Universal...