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,...
Government healthcare financing and dwindling oil prices: Any alternatives for OPEC countries?
In this article from 2023, Salem Al Mustanyir explores the effect of a fall in oil prices on healthcare financing in eight Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The analysis shows that in three of the eight countries, health financing did shift...

South Africa’s G20 Presidency Prioritizes UHC, PHC, and Civil Society Engagement
South Africa’s G20 presidency prioritises Universal Health Coverage and civil society engagement, highlighting financing, primary health care, and multilateral collaboration amid global health funding challenges.The G20 presidency is placing Universal Health Coverage...

Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan explore cooperation in mandatory health insurance
Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan health officials met in Baku to discuss the 2025–2028 Action Plan under their MoU. Uzbekistan seeks to learn from Azerbaijan’s success with mandatory health insurance, with sessions covering healthcare costs, IT, HR, financing, and...
Providing financial protection in health for low-income populations: a comparison of health financing designs in East Asia
This study compared health financing schemes for low-income populations across six East Asian societies, analyzing eligibility, coverage, and benefits. Results showed Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea provide stronger financial protection, while mainland China lags...
Challenging inadequate and fragmented primary health care financing: findings from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Maldives, and Nepal
Strengthening primary health care (PHC) is crucial for universal health coverage in South-East Asia, but sustainable public financing remains a challenge in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Maldives, and Nepal. This study, based on extensive document review and interviews,...

Evolving healthcare in Southern and Southeast Asia
Rapid ageing and rising non-communicable diseases are straining South and Southeast Asia’s underfunded healthcare systems. Countries are boosting funding, adopting digital health, and improving preventive care, but rural access gaps and high costs persist despite...
Towards universal health care coverage in low- and middle- income countries: integrating refugees into national health systems
The integration of refugees into national health systems requires context-specific strategies that account for societal attitudes, organizational structures, and financial realities, rather than relying on a single universal approach. Political commitment to universal...
Health insurance coverage among men and women in six countries within the Southeast Asia Region (2015–2022)
This study assessed health insurance coverage across six WHO Southeast Asia Region countries using Demographic and Health Survey data from 2015–2022. Coverage varied widely, with Indonesia showing the highest levels and Bangladesh and Myanmar the lowest, while...
An evaluation of the impacts of health insurance coverage on wealth stratification in some selected sub-Saharan countries
This study examined the impact of health insurance policies on household wealth distribution in four sub-Saharan African countries—Burundi, Gabon, Ghana, and Rwanda—that have achieved healthcare coverage above 20% in pursuit of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) goals....

ATOM Coalition launches health financing case studies to improve cancer care in LLMICs
The ATOM Coalition's new case studies examine cancer care financing in Georgia, Kenya, the Philippines, and Zambia, offering policy insights to strengthen access in low- and middle-income countries. The Access to Oncology Medicines (ATOM) Coalition, led by the Union...

Financing Sustainable Development: How ADB’s Theme Bonds are Transforming the Region
Since 2010, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has raised over $18 billion through specialized theme bonds to address critical challenges in water, education, and healthcare across the Asia-Pacific region, significantly improving access to clean water, educational...

Transforming Health Care Access in the Pacific Islands
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the need to invest in the service capability and resilience of the health systems of Pacific Island countries. Responding to this need, the World Bank launched three Health System Strengthening operations in Samoa (2020), Kiribati...
The case for investment in tobacco control: lessons from four countries in the Americas
This study in the Pan American Journal of Public Health from 2022 explores the case of investing in tobacco control in Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Suriname. Health taxes, for example on tobacco products, are considered opportune for both reducing unhealthy...

Caribbean & Central America knowledge exchange to reform health financing
Caribbean and Central American senior health officials met in Washington D.C. in June 2023 to discuss health financing and explore ways to accelerate progress toward universal health coverage (UHC). Country leaders, health officials, policymakers, experts, and...