The incidence of health financing in South Africa
There is an international call for countries to ensure universal health coverage. This call has been embraced in South Africa in the form of a National Health Insurance (NHI). Other forms of health financing in South Africa include general tax revenue, direct...
Paying for and receiving benefits from health services in South Africa: is the health system equitable?
This research paper examines the equity in the delivery and financing of health care for both the public and the private sectors in South Africa. Using nationally representative datasets and standard methodologies for assessing progressivity in health care financing...
Catastrophic health expenditures arising from out-of-pocket payments: Evidence from South African income and expenditure surveys
Catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) represents out-of-pocket (OOP) payments for health care which exceed a specified threshold of household’s income or household’s capacity to pay. This peer reviewed article examines CHE and the potential for such payments to...
Healthcare financing reform and national health insurance implementation in South Africa
This policy brief describes the implementation process of the national health insurance (NHI) in South Africa. The government of South Africa has implemented a number of reforms to move towards universal health coverage. Among the reforms include the development of...
South Africa’s national health insurance (NHI) policy
The NHI in South Africa is part of a health care financing reform that is designed to pool funds to actively purchase and provide access to quality, affordable personal healthcare services to the population based on their health needs, irrespective of their...
Experiences and perceptions of barriers to health services for elderly in rural Namibia
The attainment of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) requires that no one must be left behind and that all people regardless of their social economic and demographic characteristics have access to quality healthcare. Therefore UHC means that elderly rural populations...
Social health insurance contributes to universal coverage in South Africa, but generates inequities: survey among members of a government employee insurance scheme
Many low- and middle-income countries are reforming their health financing mechanisms as part of broader strategies to achieve universal health coverage (UHC). Voluntary social health insurance, despite evidence of resulting inequities, is attractive to policy makers...
Namibia’s 2014/15 national health accounts report
Namibia has made a commitment to achieve universal health coverage (UHC), which requires the provision of quality health services to the population at an affordable cost. Health financing is a key element to consider in the move towards UHC, and health accounts...
Sociodemographic patterns of health insurance coverage in Namibia
Health insurance has been found to increase healthcare utilisation and reduce catastrophic health expenditures in a number of countries which can put a country on the path towards universal health coverage. However, coverage is often unequally distributed among...
Securing sustainable financing: A priority for health programs in Namibia
Namibia is a signatory to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG 3 states that member states must ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all, at all ages. One of the targets under this goal is to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC),...
Fiscal space and financing for national health insurance in Botswana
This brief summarizes the main findings and policy implications of a Fiscal Space Analysis conducted in Botswana. The purpose of the analysis was to contribute to the policy dialogue concerning NHI in Botswana by estimating the potential revenue that could be gained...
Introduction to health insurance policy options in Botswana: Improving efficiency and sustainability through health insurance
The purpose of this report was to explore how insurance reforms could improve the efficiency and sustainability of the Botswana health system, and to offer specific policy recommendations to guide the development of a national health insurance reform proposal. The...
South Africa COVID-19 vaccine producer receives €600 million financial support
One of the potential approaches to increasing vaccine equity as part of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, is reducing Africa's reliance on global vaccine supply chains. This can be enhanced by transferring competencies for vaccine production from upper...
Namibia gets US$270.83 million to address the COVID-19 pandemic
The government of Namibia received approximately US$270.83 million under the Rapid Financing Instrument to help the country address urgent balance of payments and fiscal financing needs stemming from the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Namibia has been...
South Africa debates Bill to provide Universal Health Care
South Africa's parliament debates the National Health Insurance bill, a plan for universal health care that proponents said will bring justice and equality to the health care system in this deeply unequal country. Some critics argue that the plan is too ambitious,...