This study investigates whether the type of public health insurance affects outpatient healthcare utilization and out-of-pocket expenditure in Thailand before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings suggest that health insurance type primarily affects provider...

Forgone care: The blindspot of our health system
UHC is a crucial goal for India and is supported by the Ayushman Bharat initiatives to enhance primary care and health insurance. Despite progress, significant barriers continue to result in forgone care, particularly among vulnerable populations.Universal health...

Iran’s Escalating Drug Prices Push Cancer Patients to Desperation
The drastic increase in drug prices in Iran has left many cancer patients unable to afford essential treatments. Amidst growing public outcry, the Iranian regime prioritizes military and foreign interventions over addressing the healthcare crisis, exacerbating the...

High Medical Bills Pose Threat to China’s Economy and Consumer Spending
Globally, China’s rate of catastrophic health spending is among the highest, far exceeding the 13.2% average recorded in 2017. By comparison, Russia and Malaysia, two countries with similar per-capita GDP, reported rates of 7.7% and 1.5%, respectively.Across China,...

Webinar: How does population ageing affect health system financial sustainability and affordable access to health care?
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...
The financial toxicity of cancer: unveiling global burden and risk factors – a systematic review and meta-analysis
Published in BMJ Global Health, this systematic review and meta-analysis examines the global prevalence of financial toxicity among patients with cancer, highlighting its significant burden on individuals and families. While previous studies have explored the...

Effective member coverage to be reached by 2025
For the year 2025, which has just begun, there are several challenges for the health system in the Dominican Republic, in order to achieve effective health coverage of the population affiliated to the Family Health Insurance. Among others, it will be necessary to...

Progress in universal health in the Americas
PAHO’s new report explores unmet healthcare needs, essential service coverage, and financial protection in the Americas. It examines access barriers, economic impacts, and policy gaps, highlighting primary health care's crucial role in advancing equitable, universal...
To what extent did households in developing countries forgo needed healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic? Repeated survey estimates from 25 countries in 2020 and 2021
The research article "To what extent did households in developing countries forgo needed healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic? Repeated survey estimates from 25 countries in 2020 and 2021," authored by Jakub Kakietek, Julia Dayton Eberwein, Amanda Kerr, and...
WHO and the Ministry of Health of North Macedonia assessed barriers to care in rural areas
WHO and the Ministry of Health of North Macedonia published a report that assessed barriers to care in North Macedonia, focusing in rural areas and small urban settlements. In the overview of the report, WHO stated: This study, conducted in North Macedonia, explored...

Political will can boost global health financing
The UHC Movement Political Panel urges global leaders to tackle the health financing crisis to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030. With millions facing financial hardship due to out-of-pocket expenses, decisive action is needed for equitable healthcare...

Private Hospital Applications Decrease While SGK Payments Increase Dramatically
A recent report by the Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions of Turkey Research Center (DİSK-AR) highlights a paradox in Turkey’s healthcare system: while the number of patient applications to private hospitals has steadily decreased since 2012, the Social...
WHO estimates for out-of-pocket payments in Romania
Romania has a high incidence of catastrophic health spending, with 1 in 8 households exceeding 40% of their capacity to pay for healthcare in 2015, according to a WHO/Europe report. The burden is greatest on low-income households and older people, driven by...

Guinea: Transition adopts financing agreements for health security
On May 24, 2024, the National Transition Council adopted two financing agreements for the Health Security Program in West and Central Africa. The agreements had been signed in January between the Republic of Guinea and the International Bank for Reconstruction and...
Overview of Healthcare System in Romania: a research article by Petre et al.
This research work "encompasses a comprehensive analysis of key aspects of the Romanian healthcare system, ranging from healthcare infrastructure and financing mechanisms to service delivery and healthcare outcomes" as described by its authors, Ion Petre et al. The...