An estimated 1.48 million people in Kenya are pushed into poverty every year because of out-of-pocket (OOP) and outpatient health expenses. Kenyans from poor households are the most vulnerable and experience economic hardship each time an OOP payment is necessary....
The progress in addressing financial risk in Uganda; Analysis of catastrophe and impoverishment due to health payments
In this study, the researchers monitor the progress that Uganda has made in ensuring financial risk protection to attain universal health coverage (UHC) as a signatory to the sustainable development goals. Monitoring progress towards UHC requires tracking of progress...

Kenya on course to achieving universal health coverage (UHC)
The government of Kenya announced that it is still on track to attaining UHC by 2030. During the state address in Dec, 2021, president Kenyatta urged the senate to expedite the consideration of the 2021 national hospital insurance fund (amendments) bill which was...

New documents on health financing and financial risk protection available on Uganda country page
New documents on health financing and financial risk protection have been uploaded to the documents section of the Uganda country page. The documents can be downloaded from the related documents link below

Labor, migration and employment forum was held in Dushanbe to improve social protection
Shirin Amonzoda, PhD, Minister of Labor, Migration and Employment of the Population of Tajikistan, initiated and held a congress on December 16, 2021 in Dushanbe, dedicated to cooperation of the Ministry with donors and partners. Dr Amonzoda stressed that the...

Pensions, student stipends and social benefits increased in Azerbaijan by 25-50% since January 1
Press service of Azerbaijan’s President reported that on December 20, 2021, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a number of decrees to increase students’ stipends, social benefits and pensions. These changes aimed at improving social protection...
A review of out-of-pocket (OOP) payments for health services under insurance regimes: A policy implementation gap hindering universal health coverage (UHC) in the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
One of the key targets of sustainable development goal 3.8 is UHC which requires that all persons irrespective of their social economic background should have access to quality health services when required without incurring financial hardship. To attain this goal,...
Out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures: Determinants and impacts on the livelihoods of urban households in selected Sudanese states
Understanding the characteristics of individuals or households that are most at risk of incurring catastrophic health expenditures could help in targeted policies to ensure financial risk protection among the most vulnerable. Researchers in Sudan investigated the...
Factors contributing to low adherence to community-based health insurance (CBHI) in rural Nyanza district, southern Rwanda
Community-based health insurance (CBHI) is a kind of health insurance targeted at low-income groups and it has the potential to provide financial risk protection against exorbitant medical expenses among them. In Rwanda, CBHI is being implemented across the country...
Cost of Gambia’s basic healthcare package (BHCP)
Due to limited resources, most low income countries have developed a BHCP which defines a set of minimum healthcare interventions provided to people at an affordable cost. A BHCP is an important factor in the implementation of universal health coverage as it has the...

Increased health funding in Malawi could prevent 100,000 deaths – study
Research conducted by the National Planning Commission (NPC) with the assistance from the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) and the Copenhagen consensus centre has revealed that significantly increasing financial investment in the health sector could...

8% of the population in Honduras has no access to health care
In Honduras there is a health system integrated by the public and private sectors. The public sector is composed of the Ministry of Health (financed with resources from the national budget), which provides services to 60% of the population, and the Honduran...

New Zealand invests in maternal mental health services
Perinatal depression could occur during and after pregnancy leading to long-term effects on mental and physical well-being of mothers. Mental health and child wellbeing has been prioritized in New Zealand. As a results, expansion of maternal mental health services...
Social mutuality in the UEMOA region: Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Mali share experiences
From December 8 to 15, 2021, a study tour will take place to set up the instruments for implementing the WAEMU Regulation on the regulation of social mutual societies (Administrative Body of Social Mutual Societies and National Guarantee Fund for Social Mutual...

CSU au TCHAD: Promulgation of law n°026 creating the National Health Insurance Fund (CNAS)
On 31/12/2020, the Chadian National Assembly unanimously adopted the law creating the National Health Insurance Fund. This law was promulgated on the same day by the Head of State, the Marshal of Chad, Idriss Déby ITNO. Passage and promulgation of the...
