Tag: universal health coverage
The ability of countries to provide available, affordable, and high quality healthcare services to their populations has become a global priority. However, at least half of the population around the world still don’t have access to essential healthcare, and around 100 million people are pushed into extreme poverty because they have to pay for healthcare. Universal… Read more
This series of health financing technical seminars organised by the Oxford Policy Management (OPM) Health team, in partnership with HEART, examined how the globally evolving health financing expertise can translate into advances that national health systems make towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC). More specifically, seminars brought together health financing experts from across the spectrum (government, academia,… Read more
A seminar organised by Oxford Policy Management in June 2017 brought together practitioners and policy makers to exchange insights on practical challenges for the implementation of social health protection (SHP) programmes, and social health insurance (SHI) in particular. Kicked-off with a presentation of recent experiences from Bangladesh and Pakistan, the discussion touched on a range… Read more
This brief highlights how Sierra Leone can improve the sustainability of the free health care initiative (FHCI) financing, lower household out-of-pocket (OOP) payments on health care, and decrease its dependence on donors. A secondary analysis provides insights into how Sierra Leone could work towards achieving its longer-term health goal of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). If… Read more
As part of the review of Sierra Leone’s Free Health Care Initiative (FHCI), researchers assessed its monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system, strengths and weaknesses, and the changes that took place as a result of the FHCI. This brief notes that a strong M&E system is crucial to help improve performance and achieve results. Several key… Read more
In 2010, the Free Health Care Initiative (FHCI) abolished health user fees for pregnant women, lactating mothers and children under five. This was a response to very high mortality and morbidity levels among mothers and children and reports that financial costs were a major barrier to health service uptake and use by these groups. This… Read more
In 2010, the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) took steps towards establishing the Free Health Care Initiative (FHCI). At its core, this was the removal of user fees (on drugs and consultations) for pregnant women, lactating mothers and children under five. This brief is based on an independent review of FHCI completed in 2016, which looked… Read more
This report presents new data on the health of urban residents from nearly 100 countries, updating the first joint WHO-UN Habitat global report on urban health titled Hidden cities: unmasking and overcoming health inequities in urban settings. The new Global Report deconstructs the complex challenges of health and health inequity in cities everywhere. It presents… Read more
There are dramatic differences in mortality and life expectancy between and within countries. Disadvantaged groups have poorer survival chances and use facility-based services less than other groups. Community health services are an opportunity to improve this situation and create a pathway to Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Community Health Workers (CHWs) can improve equitable child survival,… Read more
Community health workers (CHWs) are uniquely placed to link communities with the health system, playing a role in improving the reach of health systems and bringing health services closer to hard-to-reach and marginalised groups. A systematic review was conducted to determine the extent of equity of CHW programmes and to identify intervention design factors which… Read more
This publication is about 24 developing countries that have embarked on the long journey toward universal health coverage (UHC) following a bottom-up approach, with a special focus on the poor and vulnerable. The publication documents and analyses the experiences of these countries based on a systematic data collection effort that sought to capture in great… Read more