Mexico: Discussion on tobacco taxes
In Mexico, the specific taxes levied on tobacco to mitigate the negative externalities and internalities caused by tobacco consumption are still below the minimum recommended by the World Health OrganizationBoth the Value Added Tax (VAT) and the Special Tax on...
Bolivia: 7.4 million people enrolled in the Unified Health System
Children, women, young people and adults in Bolivia who do not have health insurance can register with their identity card and receive the benefits of the Unified Health System.According to statements made by the Deputy Minister of Health Insurance and Management of...
Is corruption a barrier to effective public financial management for health?
Corruption undermines efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage. Combining anti-corruption efforts with well-designed PFM systems offers a two-pronged approach to achieving UHC.Corruption is a significant barrier to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC), which...
Making AMU operational: NGOs lobby parliamentarians
On February 28, 2024, the Permanent Secretariat of Non-Governmental Organizations (SPONG), with the support of UNICEF, held a meeting to inform, raise awareness, mobilize and engage parliamentarians in the operationalization of universal health insurance in Burkina...
With a budget deficit, Hong Kong needs to optimise healthcare spending
Hong Kong should focus on strategic purchasing to boost primary healthcare to tackle the budget deficit in healthcare says a news report by the South China Morning Post. The article advocates for a reimagining of healthcare financing in Hong Kong, emphasizing the...
Pandemic response funding: Pandemic Fund, WHO, or a new entity?
Health Policy Watch discusses the debate on pandemic financing hosts, stressing the importance of evidence-based choices in article titled 'Who Will Finance Countries’ Pandemic Response: Pandemic Fund, WHO or a New Entity?'. This article, published by Health Policy...
World Leaders’ Must-Do List in 2024: Next Steps to Secure Pandemic Financing
The Center for Global Development (CGD) gathered a group of experts who've been working on pandemics and pandemic financing. The purpose of the event was to map out the next steps for the pandemic financing agenda, and identify some specific areas for policy and...
National dialogue on health financing in Burundi
From February 12 to 14, 2024, the Economic Community of East African States organized a high-level national dialogue on health financing in Bujumbura. This dialogue mobilized stakeholders around the theme: "Increasing public resources for health financing in...
Argentina: As of March, Instituto de Obra Médico Asistencial to charge co-payments for medical consultations
The entity in charge of providing health insurance to public employees will start charging co-payments for medical consultations in the province of Buenos Aires. Due to the need to make adjustments for inflation, the president of the public employees' welfare fund...
Free of Charge Program: More than 700 thousand patients were treated at the General Hospital of Mexico.
According to the 2019-2024 Management Report of the General Hospital of Mexico "Dr. Eduardo Liceaga", the free medical care program was able to eliminate economic barriers and also ensure that more people could receive quality medical care. The hospital's general...
Health insurance agency monitors the accessibility of insurance-related information for the public
Mongolia's Health insurance agency monitors whether healthcare organizations are transparently posting information on access to care for the public. Since December of last year, the Health Insurance Agency has been working with providers to ensure the law on...
Current situation and recommendations for healthcare facilities
On October 12, 2023, the Cour des Comptes published two reports on healthcare institutionsThe first report focuses on the financial situation of public hospitals, which, although in a dilapidated state, are said to have improved after the health crisis thanks to...
Ukraine Country Cooperation Strategy for years 2024–2030 published by WHO
The 2024–2030 WHO Country Cooperation Strategy in Ukraine was jointly developed by the Government of Ukraine and WHO. It provides a vision for how the health system will be improved and sets expectations from WHO in the coming years, taking into account the effects of...
Thailand launches a new medical coverage scheme for tourist accidents
The Nation reported that Thailand has introduced a health insurance coverage scheme for tourists in case of accidents subsidized by the government, starting from January 2024. Furthermore, the article adds, Tourism and Sports Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol said at...
National Health Security Office of Thailand shares experience on implementation of UHC with the Government of Odisha, India
Thailand's National Health Security Office (NHSO) facilitated a knowledge exchange session with the Government of India during 29th to 31st, January 2024, as reported by the NHSO. The session involved participation from eight delegates representing the Health and...