A new open-access research article published in the International Journal for Equity in Health examines Somalia’s progress toward achieving universal health coverage (UHC) in the context of ongoing fragility and conflict. Titled "Universal health coverage in fragile...

Experts call for health taxes, double spending to reform Pakistan’s primary healthcare system
Experts have proposed comprehensive reforms to Pakistan’s primary healthcare system, advocating for health taxes, a shift to prepayment financing, and increased public health spending to improve access and reduce financial burdens on households. The symposium...
Excess healthcare utilization and costs linked to chronic conditions: a comparative study of nine European countries
The rising prevalence of chronic conditions poses a major challenge to healthcare systems across Europe, driving increased demand for both inpatient and outpatient services. This article, published in the European Journal of Public Health (April 2025, Volume 35, Issue...

WHO highlights progress and challenges in healthcare affordability in Bosnia and Herzegovina
A new WHO-led conference in Sarajevo revealed progress in reducing financial hardship from healthcare costs in Bosnia and Herzegovina, while highlighting the need for further equity-focused reforms.On 29 April 2025, over 30 key health stakeholders gathered in Sarajevo...

HGPI highlights the role of data in advancing UHC and health financing
The HGPI report highlights the critical role of data in advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and health financing, emphasising the use of international databases for effective policy development and global comparison. The Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI)...
Decree Law 2763 – creation of FONASA in Chile
The Chilean government created the National Health Fund (Fonasa) by decree law in 1979 (among others). Fonasa is the public health insurance that provides coverage for health services to the population. It is an alternative to the Instituciones de Salud Previsional...

Webinar on health financing reforms in LAC, using examples of Peru and Colombia
The webinar announced in the March Governance Newsletter took place on 11 April 2025. This event, which focused on the challenges of financing universal health coverage in Colombia and Peru, was the result of a collaboration between two of the P4H Network’s academic...

Bulgaria’s free heart disease drug scheme significantly reduces hospitalisations
Bulgaria has significantly reduced hospitalisations by providing fully reimbursed medicines for cardiovascular diseases, according to new data from the National Health Insurance Fund.In April 2024, Bulgaria took significant steps to address the high burden of...

Official development assistance for health: an expected 40% reduction
Decisions by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) members to freeze or cut aid disrupt health services in low- and middle-income countries, risking a 40% drop in health aid by 2025 and worsening workforce...
The role of demographic and epidemiologic transitions on growing health expenditures in LAC
Countries across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are facing rising healthcare costs as populations age and chronic diseases become more common. A new study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas by Yvonne N. Flores, Timothy Roberton, Marisol Torres...

Australia’s health system in need of genuine reforms
Australia's healthcare system faces significant challenges, including financial barriers to accessing care, inadequate support for chronic conditions, and underfunded mental health and dental services. Urgent reforms are needed to ensure the system can effectively...
A retrospective study of insurance coverage status and economic cost of rare diseases in Hainan Province
Rare diseases in Hainan Province pose a significant economic burden, with a rising prevalence and limited data available. A study from 2019 to 2023 found that 83.01% of the 4,975 diagnosed patients were insured, yet total economic costs escalated from 34.26 million...

How Japan is building a resilient society through equitable healthcare
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...
Financing essential medicines and health supplies in Pakistan
ThinkWell Pakistan has recently published a series of insightful fact sheets exploring how public health facilities in Pakistan procure and finance essential medicines and health supplies (EMHS), along with the bottlenecks they face at each step of the process....

Medical care in Honduras is confirmed to be free of charge in public services
Free medical care in Honduran public facilities is confirmed by the Ministry of Health. It also points out that there is an ongoing process of revision of texts to facilitate their application and transparency. In December 2024, the Honduran Ministry of Health...