WHO and partners back Uganda’s commitment to sustainable health financing for universal health coverage
Uganda’s government, facing reduced donor funding, convened a high-level dialogue to prioritize sustainable domestic health financing, emphasizing increased investment in primary care, efficiency, equity, and innovative funding mechanisms. The dialogue concluded with...
Towards attaining universal health coverage in Kazakhstan: Challenges and important next steps
Kazakhstan’s journey toward universal health coverage (UHC) has been shaped by its post-Soviet legacy of an underfunded, hospital-centric healthcare system and a range of structural challenges. In Towards attaining universal health coverage in Kazakhstan: Challenges...
Effectiveness of PFHI Schemes in India
A study in Economic & Political Weekly by Mamta Chaudhary, Prakash Babu Kodali, and T Sundararaman assesses publicly funded health insurance (PFHI) schemes in India using nationally representative data from the 2022–23 Household Consumption Expenditure Survey...
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...
Vietnam charts path toward universal free healthcare by 2045
Vietnam's Health Ministry unveils a plan to eliminate healthcare fees, aiming for 100% insurance coverage and equitable access to services by 2045. Vietnam’s Ministry of Health has unveiled an ambitious roadmap to make universal, free healthcare a reality by 2045. In...
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...
A UK wealth tax for better health
In the face of deepening health inequalities and a crisis of underfunding in the UK’s National Health Service, a growing body of experts argues that it is time to revisit the idea of a wealth tax. With over four million children living in relative poverty, and with...
How are infectious diseases driving health inequalities in England?
The UKHSA report reveals significant health inequalities in England linked to infectious diseases and environmental health hazards, with those in deprived areas nearly twice as likely to be hospitalized compared to their more affluent counterparts. Moving forward,...
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,...
Ghana launches MahamaCares Trust Fund to support chronic disease care
Ghana launches MahamaCares Trust Fund to support chronic disease care, covering costs not included in NHIS and investing in infrastructure, training, and research for equitable healthcare access. President John Dramani Mahama has launched the Ghana Medical Trust Fund,...
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...