The study examines how Global Health Initiatives (GHIs) align with Pakistan’s pursuit of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) amid reduced global aid and evolving national priorities. Using a political economy approach, it finds that expanding GHI mandates operate largely...

Africa CDC launches digital portal to boost NTD elimination efforts across 50 countries
Africa CDC and partners launch a digital portal to help 50 AU countries plan and finance efforts to eliminate NTDs by 2030, aligning with AU’s Agenda 2063 and national health strategies.Fifty African Union Member States have endorsed a new digital micro-planning...

Multidisciplinary group works to strengthen Paraguay’s health system
Summary: In March 2025, a multi-ministerial group met in Paraguay, including, among others, the ministries of health and finance, to work on strengthening the healthcare system. Within 60 days, they are to propose specific measures for intensive care units. At the...
Africa’s health financing in a new era: Concept paper
Africa is facing significant challenges in health financing, with a projected 70% decline in external aid between 2021 and 2025, alongside a rise in public health emergencies. In response, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has...

Strengthening health systems: South Africa leads G20 health agenda
The G20 Health Working Group met in South Africa to advance universal health coverage, sustainable financing, and NCD prevention. Leaders urged investment in resilient, inclusive healthcare systems. The 2nd G20 Health Working Group Meeting, held in KwaZulu-Natal,...

Pharmaceutical manufacturers: between innovation and controlling healthcare costs
The government and the pharmaceutical industry have strengthened their partnership through the Comité économique des produits de santé and Les entreprises du médicament to combine competitiveness, access to innovation and cost containment as part of the Social...
A political economy analysis of the legislative response to unhealthy food and beverage marketing in Chile, Canada and the UK
Published in Globalization and Health by Springer Nature, the article A political economy analysis of the legislative response to unhealthy food and beverage marketing in Chile, Canada and the UK by Fiona Sing, Sally Mackay, Boyd Swinburn, and Kelly Garton explores...
Political economy analysis of health financing reforms in times of crisis: findings from three case studies in south-east Asia
This study examines recent health financing reforms in Nepal, Thailand, and Indonesia through a political economy lens. The objective is to understand whether and how crises can be leveraged to advance universal health coverage (UHC) and to analyse the strategies used...
Political economy analysis of primary health care-oriented reforms: a case study on contracting district health systems for primary care services in Thailand
In Thailand, primary health care (PHC) is the first point of access to health services for all Thai citizens within the district health system. This case study investigates the political economy factors that have influenced Thailand’s decades-long implementation of...

Key Achievements of Viet Nam Social Security in 2024
In 2024, Viet Nam Social Security (VSS) made significant progress in advancing social and health insurance systems. The agency proactively advised on legislative reforms, leading to the passage of the revised Law on Social Insurance No. 41/2024/QH15 and the amended...
The political economy of national health insurance schemes: evidence from Zambia
Governments in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) are increasingly considering national health insurance schemes (NHIS) to achieve universal health coverage (UHC). This article examines the political economy surrounding the establishment of Zambia's NHIS in 2018,...
Assessing Root Causes and Solutions to Address Cross-Programmatic Inefficiencies in a Subnational Health System: A Case Study of Anambra State, Nigeria
Cross-programmatic inefficiencies in Anambra's health system arise from governance and financing issues, including duplicative roles, misaligned donor priorities, and weak budget implementation. Addressing these root causes could enhance the overall efficiency and...
Staying the Course: Reflections on the Progress and Challenges of the UHC Law in the Philippines
The Philippine UHC law, enacted in 2019, aims to enhance equitable access to quality health services by reforming the PhilHealth and supporting local government units through a Special Health Fund. Despite facing implementation challenges, the initiative highlights...
Accelerating health systems strengthening and National Health Insurance implementation
In 2019, President Cyril Ramaphosa launched the Presidential Health Compact, outlining a nine-pillar plan to address challenges in South Africa’s health system, including human resources, supply chain management, infrastructure, governance, and community engagement....
Latvian Public Health Guidelines 2021-2027 contain healthcare financing strategy
The Cabinet of Ministers of Latvia approved the Public Health Guidelines 2021-2027 -- a mid-term planning document guiding the development of the health care system. Responsible institutions: The Ministry of Health is the responsible institution for the implementation...
