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,...
To help deal with its ageing population, Japan offers super bespoke health programmes for individual citizens, which aim to do a better job at predicting and preventing illnesses and make emergency care less necessary.The Health Secretary is taking a bold step forward...
Australia’s long-term care system operates within a tightly regulated, market-based framework that emphasises consumer choice and control. In this country report, published by the WHO Centre for Health Development, authors Sarah Wise, Michael Woods, and Kees van Gool...
Japan's universal health insurance system, established in 1961, ensures equitable access to healthcare for all citizens, particularly as the country grapples with an aging population and rising healthcare costs. Recent policy updates aim to enhance efficiency and...
This policy brief, published by the WHO Centre for Health Development, explores the Republic of Korea’s long-term care (LTC) insurance system and the coordination challenges it faces between health and social services. Authored by Professor Soonman Kwon of Seoul...
Scotland faces a £1bn yearly funding gap as health costs rise with an ageing, unhealthy population, warns fiscal body. Without improved public health, taxes may rise or services face cuts. The Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC) has issued a stark warning about the...
'The Care Dividend' urges public investment in long-term care, showing its benefits for health, economies, and households as populations age. Published by the Observatory and Cambridge University Press. A book published by the European Observatory on Health Systems...
Published by the World Health Organization’s European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies and released by Cambridge University Press, The Care Dividend: Why and How Countries Should Invest in Long-Term Care presents a timely and evidence-based argument for...
The author highlights the challenges and misdiagnoses faced in the Cambodian healthcare system that push many to seek medical treatment abroad. It underscores the rising trend of medical tourism due to inadequate domestic options, the financial burden of healthcare,...
This study forecasts an increase in Norway's health spending from 10.6% of GDP in 2022 to 14.3% by 2050, driven primarily by population growth, aging, and rising costs per case. While the overall expenditure growth is inevitable, improving resource allocation and...
Malaysia's healthcare system is facing significant challenges due to a growing non-communicable disease epidemic, an ageing population, chronic underfunding, and a demoralised workforce, all of which threaten the quality and accessibility of care. Malaysia's...
The WHO Barcelona Office for Health Systems Financing is hosting a webinar on 19 March 2025, from 10:00 to 11:30 CET, to explore how population ageing affects health system financial sustainability.The WHO Barcelona Office for Health Systems Financing is hosting a...
Good quality housing is crucial for public health, yet its economic implications for long-term care have not been extensively studied. This research analyzes how housing improvements can affect future long-term care costs in England, utilizing data from the English...
Sarah L. Barber, Paul Ong, and Zee A. Han explore the complexities of long-term care (LTC) in ageing populations in their latest contribution to the Handbook of Global Health, published online by Springer on February 5, 2025. This chapter examines the evolving...
The primary social health insurance schemes in China, UEMIS and URRMS, mainly cover non-inpatient expenditures, neglecting costs associated with outpatient care and medications. A study found that over 60% of participants used non-inpatient services recently, with...
