World Bank releases reports highlighting critical challenges in health expenditure
World Bank reports reveal health spending declines in low-income nations, risking SDG targets. Calls for increased, efficient investments to secure global health goals. The World Bank has unveiled two crucial reports on health spending trends as countries strive to...
Armenia is postponing universal health insurance introduction due to insufficient funding
The introduction of Universal Health Insurance (UHI) in Armenia is not going to happen in 2025. On November 1, 2024, Armenian Finance Minister Vahe Hovhannisyan said in the Parliament the draft state budget of Armenia for 2025 does not contain funding for UHI...
New mechanism for the purchase of medicines and medical supplies in Mexico
This new contracting model will improve efficiency, transparency and the supply of medicines and supplies needed in the health sector.The President of the Republic emphasized that the New Model of Consolidated Procurement of Medicines and Medical Supplies in Mexico...
ECLAC and PAHO call for prioritization of health investment in Latin America and the Caribbean
The Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) called on the countries of the region not to postpone investments in health. The publication highlights the...
Albanian public expenditure on health in 2025 is planned to be 5% higher than in 2024
The draft budget for 2025, presented by the Health and Social Protection Minister of Albania, is 5% higher for 2025, reaching 103 billion and 375 million ALL. The budget for the Ministry of Health will comprise 9.8% of the general expenses.In 2025, the Ministry of...
Towards the CSU: Lessons from Tunisia, prospects for Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire
On November 14, 2023, a webinar will be held entitled: "CSU: lessons learned from the Tunisian journey - Regards croisés du Sénégal et de la Côte d'Ivoire." This virtual meeting provides an opportunity to explore a benchmark in the field of social health protection,...
Universal health insurance: Government to inject $30 billion by 2025
More than 1,500 people have received their provisional registration cards and certificates for the universal health insurance scheme. Twelve structures have been affiliated and 199,112 have been pre-registered. This was announced by the Minister in charge of of social...
Strengthening health financing reform capacity in Pakistan
In 2024, an estimated 11 million Pakistanis, or 4.4% of the population, are projected to face impoverishment due to out-of-pocket healthcare expenses. To combat this trend and advance universal health coverage, increasing government health spending is essential....
Congress approves Law on Free and Voluntary Access to Vaccinations
The Vaccination Law was approved by the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala through Decree 25-2024, guaranteeing access to immunization against different diseases.The objective of the Vaccination Law is to guarantee protection against immuno-preventable diseases...
Government announced funding for drugs against three types of cancer
Drugs for the treatment of head and neck, ovarian and cervical cancer will be included in the free coverage of the National Resources Fund.The incorporation of new drugs to the benefits of the National Resources Fund was announced. The authorities of the Ministry of...
Hungarian hospitals beat an alarm on rising debt
Hospitals in Hungary are sounding alarm as rising debts restrict operations. Past due debt of hospitals reached €300 million in March 2024, caused by the lack of financing reform, amortisation, and rising energy prices, while inflation rates, wage increases, and...
Health insurance in Bangladesh: Challenges, prospects and action plan
In 2022, healthcare spending in Bangladesh pushed 6.3 million people below the poverty line, with 61% of hospitalized patients experiencing financial trauma. To cope with medical expenses, many individuals resort to selling assets or taking high-interest loans. Health...
Georgian Government introduces co-payments into its UHC scheme
The Georgian government is introducing co-payments in the universal health coverage system to allow patient choice and flexibly. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said patients who could not choose a preferred provider or certain comfort level during medical care would...
Moving Forward on National Health Insurance in Antigua and Barbuda
Plans for establishing national health insurance in Antigua and Barbuda were put on hold due to the COVID19 pandemic. The Minister of Health confirms that these plans will now go ahead.Establishing a National Health Insurance was a strategic intervention in the...
Czech government passes a law allowing health insurance companies invest in disease prevention
As reported by Expats.cz, the Czech government has approved an amendment to the Public Health Insurance Act that could be a game changer for Czech healthcare. The law will enable health insurance companies to allocate significantly more funds toward disease...