ADB to help Uzbekistan establish public-private partnerships to manage 5 specialized hospitals
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will support Uzbekistan's Ministry of Health and Ministry of Economy and Finance in implementing a public-private partnership program to manage five specialized hospitals in Tashkent, aiming to enhance healthcare quality and...
Unlocking investment for the transformation of Ukraine’s health-care network
Significant national and international funds offer Ukraine a chance to transform its health system by consolidating hospitals and expanding primary care. The Ministry of Health must urgently establish a strategic capital investment framework, align prioritization...
Challenging inadequate and fragmented primary health care financing: findings from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Maldives, and Nepal
Strengthening primary health care (PHC) is central to achieving universal health coverage in the WHO South-East Asia Region. This study, published in The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia and Health Policy, analyses PHC financing arrangements in Bangladesh,...
Reforming Bangladesh health systems for the future
Bangladesh's health sector faces urgent challenges as it approaches the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in achieving Universal Health Coverage. The Health Sector Reform Commission Report 2025 proposes significant constitutional amendments and systemic...
Coverage and predictors of enrollment in the state-supported health insurance schemes in Nigeria: a quantitative multi-site study
This study evaluated the reach and factors influencing enrollment in state-supported health insurance schemes (SSHIS) across six Nigerian states, each representing a different geopolitical zone. Findings showed significant variation in coverage—highest in Kwara State...
How can innovative financing options support health system financing for noncommunicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries?
As noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) place increasing strain on health systems in low- and middle-income countries, the need for sustainable financing solutions is more urgent than ever. With development assistance stagnating and domestic budgets stretched thin,...
Health insurance programme to be restructured amid effectiveness concerns
The Nepalese government plans to restructure the national health insurance program to improve its effectiveness and sustainability, emphasizing stricter enforcement of the Health Insurance Act and raising the benefit cap for insured individuals. With Rs 10 billion...
The case for investment in tobacco control: lessons from four countries in the Americas
This study in the Pan American Journal of Public Health from 2022 explores the case of investing in tobacco control in Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Suriname. Health taxes, for example on tobacco products, are considered opportune for both reducing unhealthy...
Implementation of Taxation on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages by the Government of Barbados
This 2016 policy brief produced by the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (with the support of the NCD Alliance) provides an overview of the approaches used by the Barbados Ministry of Finance in the adoption of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxation.
Caribbean & Central America knowledge exchange to reform health financing
Caribbean and Central American senior health officials met in Washington D.C. in June 2023 to discuss health financing and explore ways to accelerate progress toward universal health coverage (UHC). Country leaders, health officials, policymakers, experts, and...
Financing pandemic prevention, preparedness and response: Invest now or pay a heavy price in the future
The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the devastating consequences of chronic underinvestment in pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (PPPR). Despite the staggering toll—over 28 million excess deaths and trillions of dollars in economic losses—the global...
Maldives, Thailand sign MoU on health; WHO lauds collaboration
The Maldives and Thailand signed a MoU to enhance cooperation in health care, focusing on strengthening primary health care in the Maldives and improving regulatory systems. The agreement encompasses areas such as training for health professionals, health policy...
Health insurance premiums in India now outpace national health budget
A surge in private insurance premiums has overtaken India’s public health budget, raising concerns over equity and access in the country’s shifting healthcare landscape.India’s healthcare financing is transforming, with individual health insurance premiums now...
Changes to Universal Health Care Law urged in Philippines
Senator Bong Go urged the swift approval of Senate Bill 2620 to amend the Universal Health Care Act. The bill includes provisions that reduce premium contributions for PhilHealth members, notably benefiting Filipino migrant workers by having the government cover half...
Strengthening community health in Senegal: Lessons from a Ministry-led self-assessment
A new policy brief, developed by Senegal’s Ministry of Health and Social Action with support from the Financing Alliance for Health, uses the Community Health Financing Assessment (CHFA) toolkit to evaluate the current state of community health financing in Senegal....