Nigeria seeks increase in Basic Healthcare Provision Fund
Nigeria plans to raise BHCPF funding from 1% to 2% of revenue and enroll 44M citizens in health insurance by 2030. With 70% out-of-pocket spending, govt seeks domestic funding, broader NHIA rollout, and state/private sector support to expand coverage and protect the...
Nigeria restates commitment to sustainable health financing, universal coverage
Nigeria boosted health spending from ₦434B (2018) to ₦2.4T (2024), now 5.18% of federal budget. New insurance reforms aim to enroll 4M citizens by 2030, reducing household health costs from 70%. Government targets universal coverage through innovative financing and...
Iranian MP Warns of Looming Health Care Funding Crisis
Iran’s health system faces collapse as rising costs, insurer debts, and an aging population strain financing. Pharmacies warn of drug shortages within months, with 80% near bankruptcy. Families pay 70% of health costs, while workers lack coverage, leaving system...
Germany Debates Who Should Cover the Costs of Unhealthy Eating
Obesity is straining Germany’s health system, costing up to €90B yearly. With half of adults overweight, politics remain divided: conservatives trust markets, while Greens push sugar taxes and VAT reform. Experts say real change needs political courage, not just...
Luxor’s universal health insurance system reaches over 90% of population
Egypt’s Universal Health Insurance System in Luxor has enrolled over 90% of residents, with state support for low‑income citizens. Backed by digital systems, quality standards, and expanded services, it delivered 5.6M treatments in 2024/25, making Luxor a model of...
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...
Move to include new categories of individual workers under insurance coverage in Saudi Arabia
The Saudi Council of Health Insurance will engage a consulting firm to study mandatory health insurance for domestic workers, effective July 1, 2024, for households with over four workers. The study will assess extending coverage to smaller groups and raising limits...
Healthcare and social welfare systems to merge under new plans in Estonia
Estonia plans to merge health and social care systems for better coordination, but interest groups fear rushed reforms could disrupt services, especially for vulnerable groups. Critics warn unclear funding and added bureaucracy may reduce access and strain providers....
Peak private hospital body alleges health insurers ‘misusing market power’ in Australia
Australia’s private hospitals allege major insurers use unfair contract practices that hurt patient care and threaten hospital viability; insurers deny wrongdoing. Government is considering regulatory action as tensions disrupt private healthcare sector. Australia’s...
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...
Health taxes offer revenue potential and health gains, CGDev blog explains
Sanjeev Gupta and Joao Jalles highlight how health taxes can save lives, curb harmful consumption, and unlock vast untapped revenues for stronger, fairer health systemsA Center for Global Development blog by Sanjeev Gupta and Joao Jalles explores how health taxes can...
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...