Seguro Popular came into effect in 2004 as a mechanism for implementing the Social Health Protection System (SPSS). It was a public health insurance scheme through voluntary affiliation, aimed at the population that was not affiliated to social security through an...
Advancing social health protection in central and western Asia
The ILO report, Extending social health protection: Accelerating progress towards universal health coverage in Central and Western Asia, provides an in-depth analysis of the social health protection systems in countries across Central and Western Asia, including...

Insurance for Migrant Workers from South and Southeast Asia
The authors discuss the important topic of healthcare access for migrant workers, who face numerous health challenges when working abroad. Migrant workers often lack access to healthcare or the means to pay for it, leading to significant barriers such as cost, lack of...
Universal health coverage in Pakistan
This paper examines Pakistan's health system, focusing on health-seeking behaviors and service utilization in the context of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Using 14 UHC tracer indicators, the analysis highlights Pakistan's lagging position compared to...
Position statement on “Initiatives for sustainable health financing” in line with the Africa Leadership Meeting (ALM) Declaration
This position statement summarizes key outcomes from the National Dialogue on "Initiatives for Sustainable Health Financing" in alignment with the Africa Leadership Meeting (ALM) Declaration. It focuses on four priority pillars: increasing health funding by developing...
A comparison between different models of delivering maternal cash transfers in Myanmar
Cash transfers are widely employed by governments in many other low- and middle-income countries as a social protection mechanism. This study investigates the performance of different delivery models of a maternal cash transfer program in Myanmar: government health...
Improving equity in the distribution and financing of health services in Mauritius.
This peer-reviewed article assesses the distribution of healthcare utilization and spending in Mauritius, where free healthcare services have been provided for decades, yet the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) service index remains relatively low. Using Benefit...
Can people afford to pay for health care? Evidence on financial protection in Albania
Financial protection in Albania is weak compared to many other European countries. Catastrophic health spending is heavily concentrated among the poorest households and largely driven by out-of-pocket payments for outpatient medicines. Levels of unmet need for health...
Nepal: National Health Financing Strategy 2080- 2090
The National Health Financing Strategy 2080- 2090 includes strategic interventions to expand fiscal space for health, strengthen social protection, improve resource generation, and improve health financing governance, accountability, and transparency in the health...
Law 346: Free health services for women during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum period
It establishes free curative medical care and comprehensive general health services for women during pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium in all public health facilities. The public health system should encourage the strengthening of all relevant actions for the...
Willingness to pay for a National Health Insurance Scheme: a contingent valuation study
This study evaluated households' willingness to pay (WTP) for a proposed National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Gambia, following the 2021 enactment of the National Health Insurance Bill. Surveying heads of households from July to August 2020, the study used a...
Assessing the equity and coverage policy sensitivity of financial protection indicators in Europe
The article titled "Assessing the Equity and Coverage Policy Sensitivity of Financial Protection Indicators in Europe," published in the Journal of Health Policy, examines the policy sensitivity of two commonly used catastrophic spending indicators in Europe: the...
Roadmap towards Universal Health Coverage in Cambodia 2024-2035
The Roadmap towards Universal Health Coverage in Cambodia 2024-2035 has been developed in alignment with the National Social Protection Policy Framework and the concept note on the path toward Universal Health Coverage in Cambodia, as adopted by the National Social...

More than 20 000 cancer patients will receive state-paid drug therapy worth 74 mln euros
State funding for oncology drugs has risen from €57M in 2022 to over €74M in 2024, benefiting 18,000 patients. Minister of Health Khosam Abu Meri prioritizes drug accessibility, with a new action plan increasing compensation and expanding individual reimbursement...
Inequality in financial risk protection in health: The case of Venezuelan women in Brazil
Inequalities in financial health protection among Venezuelan migrant women in Brazil were analyzed. The study focused on out-of-pocket health expenditures and catastrophic health expenditures to determine inequalities between migrant and non-migrant women. It found...