Out-of-pocket health expenditures (OOPE) in Cambodia significantly contribute to financial hardship for households engaged in informal employment, with healthcare factors being the largest drivers of these costs. The study suggests that the Cambodian government should...

Social security for gig workers: to be included in PMJAY
The Indian government is developing a social security scheme for gig workers, which will require them to contribute 1% to 2% of their daily earnings and provide benefits like provident funds and pensions. This initiative aims to support the growing gig workforce by...

Indonesia launches $183 million free health screening program
Indonesia has introduced a nationwide free health screening program to prevent early deaths, allocating 3 trillion rupiah ($183 million) to the initiative that aims to screen 100M people in 2025. Indonesia has launched its largest-ever health screening program,...

Stop TB’s global drug facility announces significant price reductions and new drug-sensitivity tests
The Stop TB Partnership’s Global Drug Facility announces a 54% price reduction for bedaquiline and introduces new drug-sensitivity tests, improving access to essential TB treatments and saving millions. In a major move to combat drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB),...
Financing for NCDs and Mental Health: Making the Money Work Better – Policy Brief
This World Bank policy brief explores strategies to improve financing for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health services amid rising demand and constrained health budgets. Despite increasing healthcare needs, government spending remains insufficient,...

Sustainable financing for health
Sustainable health financing in Nepal is crucial for achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC), yet the country struggles to meet the WHO's recommendation of allocating at least 5 percent of its GDP to healthcare, primarily relying on high out-of-pocket payments....
Prices, availability, and affordability of adult medicines in 54 low-income and middle-income countries
Published in The Lancet Global Health, the study by Lachlan Oldfield, Jonathan Penm, Ardalan Mirzaei, and Rebekah Moles examines the prices, availability, and affordability of essential medicines in 54 low- and middle-income countries. Using a secondary analysis based...
Multidimensional vulnerability and financial risk protection in health in contexts of protracted conflict: Evidence from the Occupied Palestinian Territory
This paper, published in PLOS One authored by Julia Hatamyar, Sally Shayeb, Akseer Hussain, Weeam Hammoudeh, Sumit Mazumdar, and Rodrigo Moreno-Serra, explores the relationship between multidimensional vulnerability and financial risk protection (FRP) in health within...
Catastrophic health expenditure associated with non-inpatient costs among middle-aged and older individuals in China
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...
Fostering inclusion: Advancing social health protection for persons with disabilities in Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Viet Nam
Advancing disability-inclusive social protection is essential for achieving universal access to social health protection, which fosters social inclusion and economic participation for persons with disabilities. A holistic approach is needed to ensure that social...

Indonesia strengthens health expenditure tracking to advance universal health coverage
Indonesia is enhancing health expenditure tracking to improve resource allocation and accelerate progress toward universal health coverage (UHC). Supported by WHO, the Ministry of Health is adopting advanced tools to refine spending analysis and strengthen health...
What influences the impact of health financing reforms? Using qualitative comparative analysis to identify patterns in health financing systems and their effects on financial protection
The research article What influences the impact of health financing reforms? Using qualitative comparative analysis to identify patterns in health financing systems and their effects on financial protection, authored by Justine Hsu, Matthew Jowett, Anne Mills, and...

WHO webinar on key findings of the Global Health Expenditure Report 2024
WHO has updated the Global Health Expenditure Database (GHED) for over 190 Member States and is hosting a Webinar on February 4, 2025, to discuss the key findings of the 2024 Global Health Expenditure Report launched in December 2024. The World Health Organization...

Key Achievements of Viet Nam Social Security in 2024
In 2024, Viet Nam Social Security (VSS) made significant progress in advancing social and health insurance systems. The agency proactively advised on legislative reforms, leading to the passage of the revised Law on Social Insurance No. 41/2024/QH15 and the amended...
Financial Protection Outcomes in Four East Asian Countries During COVID-19: Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia
This paper analyzes the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and financial protection in four East Asia and Pacific (EAP) countries: Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand. It highlights a general improvement in service coverage in...