Concerns exist that performance-based financing (PBF) may erode intrinsic motivation by emphasizing financial incentives, though it could also enhance morale through improved conditions. Using six national pilot evaluations across Cameroon, Kyrgyz Republic, Nigeria,...
Health drain: the effect of internal migration on regional disparities in healthcare costs
Internal migration in the Netherlands from 1998 to 2018 altered regional healthcare cost disparities by concentrating younger, healthier individuals in prosperous provinces and older, sicker individuals in disadvantaged ones. Using a novel framework that adjusts for...

Conseil Nationale de Santé 2025: Congolese healthcare takes a strategic step forward
In Congo, the National Health Council brought together 15 ministers and multiple stakeholders on July 2025 in Brazzaville. Financing and governance were at the heart of the debates. In Congo Brazzavile, the National Health Council (CNS) brought together 15 ministers...

Healthcare and social welfare systems to merge under new plans in Estonia
Estonia plans to merge health and social care systems for better coordination, but interest groups fear rushed reforms could disrupt services, especially for vulnerable groups. Critics warn unclear funding and added bureaucracy may reduce access and strain providers....

Debts, Deletions, and Downgrades: Private Hospitals Bulk as Kenyan SHA Withholds Billions
Kenya’s universal health coverage struggles as hospitals face KSh 76 billion in unpaid claims, forcing cash-only services and risking closures. Delays, downgrades, and opacity have left providers in crisis and patients—especially in rural areas—with dwindling access....

Expanded coverage, enhanced medical insurance services weave stronger safety net in China
China’s streamlined medical insurance now covers 95% of citizens, enabling instant newborn enrollment and broader benefits, including maternity and long-term care. Digital upgrades and oversight boost access, equity, and efficiency across the country’s healthcare...
Using European Union funds to improve access to community-based mental health care: lessons from Czechia
Czechia has established 29 community mental health centres (CMHCs) using EU funds, bringing together health and social care professionals to provide comprehensive, person-centred services for people with severe mental health conditions. These centres have improved...

80 years of care: Việt Nam’s health sector from battlefield to universal coverage
From modest beginnings, Vietnamese medicine has advanced to world-class standards, with surgeons now performing transplants, robotic-assisted surgeries, artificial heart implantations and stem cell therapies. The August Revolution of 1945 signified not only the birth...
Can people afford to pay for health care? New evidence on financial protection in Czechia
Czechia exhibits lower catastrophic health spending than many EU countries, but the poorest quintile and older adults still face high out-of-pocket costs, primarily for outpatient medicines. Gaps in coverage—limited co-payment protections, inadequate adult corrective...
Can people afford to pay for health care? New evidence on financial protection in Slovakia
In Slovakia, catastrophic health spending is lower than in many EU countries but has been rising, disproportionately affecting low-income households and older people, mainly due to out-of-pocket spending on outpatient medicines. Despite a comprehensive benefits...
Can people afford to pay for health care? New evidence on financial protection in Greece
Greece experiences higher levels of catastrophic health spending than many EU countries, with the burden falling most heavily on low-income households due to spending on medicines and outpatient care, while wealthier households face higher costs for inpatient and...
Can people afford to pay for health care? New evidence on financial protection in Slovenia
Slovenia has one of the lowest levels of catastrophic health spending in Europe, thanks to its comprehensive publicly financed benefits and, until 2024, complementary voluntary health insurance (VHI) that protected people from co-payments. A major 2024 reform...
Budget Execution in Health: From Bottlenecks to Solutions – Case Study Series
The effective allocation and execution of health budgets are central to ensuring that health systems operate efficiently, equitably, and sustainably. The World Bank’s latest publication, Budget Execution in Health: From Bottlenecks to Solutions – Case Study Series,...
Analysis of Capacity for Delivering Health Services for Noncommunicable Diseases in Dominica
Esta publicación del Banco Mundial de 2023 profundiza en la capacidad de prestación de servicios para las enfermedades no transmisibles (ENT) en la nación insular de Dominica, en el Caribe. Los aspectos financieros incluyen la financiación de los recursos humanos para...

Why Universal Health Coverage matters in West and Central Africa
At TICAD in Japan, UHC took center stage as Africa’s young, fast-growing population underscores the need for stronger health systems. Despite funding gaps and persistent risks, the World Bank and partners aim to expand access, boost resilience, and create jobs, with...