Ethiopia's primary health care (PHC) system has made notable progress in enhancing healthcare access and coverage, supported by strong political commitment and the implementation of a national health extension package. Despite these successes, challenges persist,...

Health Transformation Plan for Universal Health Coverage in Iran
Iran's primary healthcare system features a robust network supported by community health workers and has successfully expanded urban services to address significant health challenges. The Health Transformation Plan initiated in 2014 has made substantial strides in...

Who pays when Africans fall sick?
Across Africa, millions in the informal sector remain uninsured—not from apathy, but due to the exclusionary nature of health systems. In Tanzania and beyond, digital innovations offer promising models for more inclusive health insurance.In Tanzania, only 15 percent...

Kazakhstan’s Primary Health Care Reform Saves Millions, Offers Model for Global Health Systems
Kazakhstan has successfully strengthened its primary health care system, achieving significant cost savings and improving health outcomes by integrating mental health services and adopting a multidisciplinary approach to community care. Kazakhstan has made significant...
Changes in the safety net over recent decades and their impact
This paper examines the evolution and effectiveness of the safety net over the past half-century in USA. It finds that while some programs have contracted, the safety net has overall grown substantially stronger through expansions that have significantly reduced...
Primary health care financing: a situation assessment and policy options for Tajikistan
Tajikistan’s primary health care, based on a family medicine model, faces low per-capita funding, outdated financing, and persistent informal payments. To strengthen it, the country should pilot per-capita payment systems, update the benefits package for better...

How Japan could shape the future of the NHS
To help deal with its ageing population, Japan offers super bespoke health programmes for individual citizens, which aim to do a better job at predicting and preventing illnesses and make emergency care less necessary.The Health Secretary is taking a bold step forward...

Price increases at clinics fuel Korea’s health insurance expenditure growth
A report by the Korea Development Institute reveals that rising health insurance spending in Korea is primarily driven by increasing prices at clinics and outpatient services, leading to concerns about the system's sustainability. A recent report from the Korea...
Dominica Macro-Fiscal Context and Health Financing Factsheet
Macro-Fiscal Context and Health Financing Factsheets developed by the World Bank provide graphical representations of 14 key indicators linked to the larger macro fiscal environment in which a health system operates. This fact sheet on Dominica shows historical data...
Bridging healthcare gaps through specialized mobile healthcare services to improve healthcare access and outcomes in rural Hungary
This study assessed a public insurance-based telemedicine system in rural Hungary, where 12 Mobile Healthcare Service Centers provided general and specialist care to over 21,000 residents, resulting in the diagnosis of new hypertension and diabetes cases and high...

The Wait Is the Price: Quiet Rationing Plagues Canadian Health Care
The Canadian healthcare system, while publicly funded and perceived as free, involves significant wait times for medical services due to a mismatch between demand and supply, effectively rationing care. This inadequacy leads to substantial economic costs, estimated in...

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)...

Countries face sharp health financing cliffs amid dwindling aid, warns The Lancet article
Global health aid is declining, with over 3 billion people in debt-burdened countries. Nations like Nigeria and Thailand are adapting, but coordinated, sustainable solutions are urgently needed. The global health community is facing a critical juncture, as highlighted...

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...

New Zealanders prioritise health, but costs hold many back
New Zealand is experiencing a rise in health screening engagement, with 72% of adults prioritizing check-ups, although affordability remains a significant barrier for 36% of the population. Medical inflation has surged to 14.5%, impacting access to preventative care,...