The Week in Headlines
UHC Forward's weekly roundup of headlines from around the Globe
Governments around the world are engaging in serious political and technical discussions on how to expand health coverage. Still others are considering such reforms, but are struggling to navigate the legal, financial, and political frameworks of their countries to determine the best path towards reform.
Below is a list of UHC-related headlines from around the world:
General news
Health Financing in Africa posts an interesting blog on Performance-based financing: In this post, Jurrien Toonen asks, "If indeed UHC is here to replace last week's fashion, the MDG's, would that be good or bad news for performance-based financing?" [Source: Health Financing in Africa]
WHO, the World Bank, and Joint Learning Network for Universal Health Coverage (JLN) developing a provider-payment assessment guide : The World Health Organization (WHO), along with the World Bank and the Joint Learning Network for Universal Health Coverage (JLN), is developing a diagnostic and assessment guide to support countries making reforms to mechanisms for paying health-service providers. [Source: The Joint Learning Network for Universal Health Coverage]
New international research consortium on health systems strengthening: The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, with funding from the Department for International Development (DFID), recently launched RESYST -- a new international research consortium on health systems strengthening. [Source: UHC Forward]
A look at the future of health care and funding in Africa: 'Spectacular progress', 'huge opportunities' and 'jeopardy and vulnerability' - with these stark headlines the former Global Fund chief, Sir Richard Feachem, framed Africa's past, present and future in the battle against Aids, tuberculosis and malaria. [Source: AllAfrica.com]
Does Health Insurance Decrease Health Expenditure Risk in Developing Countries? The Case of China: This paper studies the impact of health insurance on individual out-of-pocket (OOP) health expenditure in China using the China Health and Nutrition Survey data between 1991 and 2006. [Source: HealthSpace.Asia]
Country news
China
Trends in access to health services and financial protection in China between 2003 and 2011: a cross-sectional study: In the past decade, the Government of China initiated health-care reforms to achieve universal access to health care by 2020. We assessed trends in health-care access and financial protection between 2003, and 2011, nationwide. [Source: The Lancet]
Ghana
Health Insurance grounded in parts of Ghana: The health of many Ghanaians is in danger in parts of the country as the operations of the National Health Insurance Scheme have come to a halt. Some offices of the insurance authority have been closed by workers as they begin an indefinite strike.[Source: Ghanweb]
India
Spending for a healthy India: An increase in public expenditure on health from an estimated 1.4 per cent of GDP to 2.5 percent by the end of the Twelfth Plan can, if it is used wisely, bring about a revolution in health care. [Source: The Hindu]
Health insurance scheme on the anvil: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said in the Assembly on Thursday that health care should be recognized as a right. [Source: The Hindu]
Nigeria
Dogo-Muhammad Bows Out, Sambo Now NHIS Boss: The Federal Government has approved the appointment of Dr. Abdurahman Sambo as Acting Executive Secretary of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), following the expiration of the tenure of Dr. Waziri Dogo-Muhammad in that capacity. [Source: AllAfrica.com]
South Africa
Private sector obstructed plans for NHI scheme in south Africa: The chief executive of the SA Human Sciences Research Council, Dr Olive Shisana, has accused the private sector of having discouraged the government for many years from implementing a national health insurance scheme. [Source: Sowetan]
Tunisia
Tunisian Health Minister Calls for Universal Health Care: At a conference held yesterday in Paris, Tunisian Minister of Health Khalil Ezzaouia called for the establishment of universal healthcare for all Tunisians. [Source: Tunisia Live]
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