Conseil Nationale de Santé 2025: Congolese healthcare takes a strategic step forward
In Congo, the National Health Council brought together 15 ministers and multiple stakeholders on July 2025 in Brazzaville. Financing and governance were at the heart of the debates. In Congo Brazzavile, the National Health Council (CNS) brought together 15 ministers...
In Burundi, the Carte d’Assistance Maladie (CAM) is compulsory for everyone.
In Burundi, the Carte d'Assistance Maladie has become compulsory for adults not already covered by other means. The cost is 3000 Burundian francs (US$ 1). Its success as a social protection measure depends on its implementation. In February 2025, the government of...
Debts, Deletions, and Downgrades: Private Hospitals Bulk as Kenyan SHA Withholds Billions
Kenya’s universal health coverage struggles as hospitals face KSh 76 billion in unpaid claims, forcing cash-only services and risking closures. Delays, downgrades, and opacity have left providers in crisis and patients—especially in rural areas—with dwindling access....
Expanded coverage, enhanced medical insurance services weave stronger safety net in China
China’s streamlined medical insurance now covers 95% of citizens, enabling instant newborn enrollment and broader benefits, including maternity and long-term care. Digital upgrades and oversight boost access, equity, and efficiency across the country’s healthcare...
80 years of care: Việt Nam’s health sector from battlefield to universal coverage
From modest beginnings, Vietnamese medicine has advanced to world-class standards, with surgeons now performing transplants, robotic-assisted surgeries, artificial heart implantations and stem cell therapies. The August Revolution of 1945 signified not only the birth...
Advancing universal health coverage in South Africa: A global imperative with local relevance
South Africa’s National Health Insurance (NHI) aims to advance Universal Health Coverage by addressing inequities between the well-resourced private sector and the underfunded public sector. While progress has been made, challenges persist, and WHO supports reforms to...
National Health Insurance launch set for June 2026 in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe plans to launch its National Health Insurance (NHI) in June 2026 to expand universal health coverage, funded through earmarked taxes. With only 13% covered by medical aid, the NHI will target the uninsured majority, aiming to cut out-of-pocket costs and...
Decree modifying the Mexican Institute of Social Security
The decree modifying the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS-Bienestar) was published. The modifications include financing, unifying transfers between IMSS-Bienestar and governments of the federative entities in the Fondo de Salud para el Bienestar (FONSABI...
Nigeria to Host Health Financing Policy Dialogue In September
Nigeria will host a National Health Financing Dialogue in September to tackle low health investment, with households paying 76% of costs. The forum will push NHIA Act implementation, insurance expansion, and innovative financing, aiming to cut out-of-pocket spending...
Japan seeks to ease Africa’s debt burden with low-cost loans
Japan is considering offering low-cost loans to African countries to support debt management and provide an alternative financing option amid shifting global aid and investment patterns.Japan is preparing to expand its support for African nations by offering low-cost...
Why Universal Health Coverage matters in West and Central Africa
At TICAD in Japan, UHC took center stage as Africa’s young, fast-growing population underscores the need for stronger health systems. Despite funding gaps and persistent risks, the World Bank and partners aim to expand access, boost resilience, and create jobs, with...
Bhutan Celebrates 25 Years of Advancing Health Equity and Sustainability
Marking 25 years, Bhutan’s Health Trust Fund reaffirmed its role in financing free healthcare, having ensured Nu. 3.7B for drugs and vaccines. Despite sustainability challenges, it targets innovation, digital tools, and wider investments to secure resilience and...
Study links cash transfers to lower child mortality in Kenya
A decade-long study in Kenya found cash transfers reduced child deaths by nearly half. Results, reported by The New York Times, highlight new evidence on poverty reduction and health outcomes.A new study reported by The New York Times shows that unconditional cash...
Africa launches the ‘Accra Initiative’ to boost national health system resilience
The Accra Initiative, launched at the Africa Health Sovereignty Summit on 5 August, sets a new framework for global health, prioritising resilience, equity, and sustainable financing while advancing Africa’s leadership in health governance. African leaders and...
Leaving agency head proposes ways to exit Estonia’s healthcare funding crisis
Estonia’s Health Insurance Fund faces a deepening crisis as reserves run out by 2027. Outgoing chief Rain Laane warns efficiency measures can’t close deficits, urging greater state investment. A four-year plan targets stronger primary care, funding reform, and better...