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...
The current situation of health equity in underserved areas of Afghanistan
Providing universal health coverage (UHC) in Afghanistan faces challenges due to the country's geographic topography and gender dynamics. A significant number of primary healthcare facilities are unevenly distributed, leaving nearly 25% of the population underserved,...

PhilHealth benefits now cover outpatient emergency services
The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has introduced the Outpatient Emergency Care Benefit (OECB) package, effective January 1, following PhilHealth Circular No. 2024-0033. This initiative allows coverage for emergency procedures and services for patients...

Progress in universal health in the Americas
PAHO’s new report explores unmet healthcare needs, essential service coverage, and financial protection in the Americas. It examines access barriers, economic impacts, and policy gaps, highlighting primary health care's crucial role in advancing equitable, universal...

Iceland’s Act on the Integration of Services in the Interest of Children’s Prosperity (“Prosperity Act”)
Iceland’s Act on the Integration of Services in the Interest of Children’s Prosperity (“Prosperity Act”) seeks to enhance child well-being by ensuring the provision of comprehensive services to children and families early in the policy process. The formal development...
Situation Analysis by WHO: Primary Health Care Financing in Ukraine
On 16 October 2023, WHO issued a report titled "Primary health care financing in Ukraine: a situation analysis and policy considerations". As reported by WHO-Europe, this report delves into the current state of primary health care (PHC) financing in Ukraine and...

Reflections on Public-Private-Partnerships for Primary Care in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh
Public-private partnerships (PPPs) for primary care services have grown significantly in South Asian countries like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, largely driven by local initiatives rather than central government planning. These partnerships have evolved from...

Celebrating resilience: a sustainable primary health care model in Côte d’Ivoire
In November, the Ministry of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Coverage, the Senate of Côte d’Ivoire, community associations, health care workers and patients celebrated 30 years of their resilient primary health care model. Forty community health centres in...
Tackling the Impact of Cancer on Health, the Economy and Society: Poland
Cancer remains a major public health challenge in Poland, accounting for one in four premature deaths and leading to an estimated 38,400 premature cancer-related fatalities annually. Future cancer health expenditure is expected to rise significantly due to an aging...

ESCom – a successful community-based public-private partnership
30 years of public-private partnership in Côte d'Ivoire, reinforces primary health care in the quest for universal health coverage. This successful model deserves to be better known outside Côte d'Ivoire and French-speaking Africa. In the late 90s, Abidjan began an...

Albanian public expenditure on health in 2025 is planned to be 5% higher than in 2024
The draft budget for 2025, presented by the Health and Social Protection Minister of Albania, is 5% higher for 2025, reaching 103 billion and 375 million ALL. The budget for the Ministry of Health will comprise 9.8% of the general expenses.In 2025, the Ministry of...
Mauritius health sector strategic plan 2020-2024
The Mauritius Health Sector Strategic Plan (HSSP) 2020-2024 outlines a detailed strategy to strengthen the country's healthcare system by addressing the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and the challenges posed by an ageing population. It prioritizes...
30 years of primary health care reforms in Estonia: The role of financial incentives to achieve a multidisciplinary primary health care system
Estonia has shifted from a hospital-centered system to strengthening primary healthcare (PHC) since the 1990s. Recent reforms emphasize multidisciplinary care, integrating home nurses, midwives, and physiotherapists, while promoting PHC centers over single-physician...
Zambia health sector public expenditure review: 2006-2016
The report highlights the findings of a health sector Public Expenditure Review (PER) covering the period from 2006 to 2016. The findings reveal that health spending in Zambia is low compared to regional and global averages, with a significant reliance on donor...
The health system in Cuba
Since the Cuban Revolution in 1959, Cuba has made health a national priority and established a public, universal, free, patient-centered system. It is based on prevention and the family physician model, which has enabled it to achieve remarkable health results. By...