The many documents available on the P4H Network’s digital platform reflect the network’s scope of work. The majority of documents are primary source materials created by country nationals or resources produced by organizations working in social health protection (SHP) and/or health financing (HF).
The collection provides information on SHP and/or HF reforms and universal health coverage processes from around the world as well as topical analysis and research.
Health financing policies during the COVID-19 pandemic and implications for universal health care
A research paper published in the December 2023 Issue of the Lancet Global Health on how 15 countries responded to the COVID-19 pandemic through their health financing policies. The paper has been co-authored by Aungsumalee Pholpark, Community Facilitator for the Asia...
National Health Insurance in the face of COVID-19: urban tendencies in South Africa
South Africa as a signatory to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is committed to attaining universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030. The country is set to implement a national health insurance (NHI) to drive the UHC agenda forward. Currently,...
The South Africa National Health Insurance bill
In 2019, the South African government committed to establishing a National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Fund to ensure that the most vulnerable are protected from catastrophic expenditures from medical expenses to attain universal health coverage. This NHI Act,...
Catching up with the constitution: An analysis of national health insurance in South Africa post-apartheid
In 2019, the government of South Africa passed the national health insurance (NHI) bill, reviving a debate as to whether social health insurance could be effectively implemented in the country. In this article, the author discusses the development process of the NHI...
Inpatient care costs of COVID-19 in South Africa’s public healthcare system
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has had a devastating impact globally, with severe health and economic consequences including increased disperaties in health inequalities. This has the potential to frustrate governments efforts towards universal health coverage. To...
Universal health coverage financing in South Africa: wishes vs reality
In 2011, the South African health minister, proposed a national health insurance (NHI) for South Africa with the aim to deliver universal health access and care to all South African residential citizens, with a single fund to cover all people, no matter their income....
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...
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...
Universal Health Coverage South Africa: Service coverage index by district (2019)
The included data is based on: Massyn N, Barron P, Day C, Ndlovu N, Padarath A, editors. District Health Barometer 2018/19. Durban: Health Systems Trust; 2020.
Universal Health Coverage Index South Africa, District Level (2019)
The included data is based on: Massyn N, Barron P, Day C, Ndlovu N, Padarath A, editors. District Health Barometer 2018/19. Durban: Health Systems Trust; 2020.