UHC Forward: Towards Universal Health Coverage

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

Spotlight on the role of the EU in achieving universal health coverage in Africa: UNAIDS reports that global health experts came together to discuss the European Union’s role in supporting low- and middle-income countries to reach universal health coverage at the European Development Days (EDDs) conference. The topic for the two-day conference taking place in Brussels from 16-17 October is “Inclusive and Sustainable Growth for Human Development”.

Not just your average workshop: Joint Learning Network for Universal Health Coverage Expanding Coverage Track team member Abeba Taddese explains why the Marrakech workshop stood out. Dialogue, knowledge exchange and learning, community, and connections.

Country News

Ghana

NHIS rolls out new reforms: According to Peace FM Online the National Health Insurance Authority has outlined new reforms to help the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) increase efficiency, reduce cost, improve quality of care and secure the long term future of the Scheme.

We made NHIS better: Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Sylvester Mensah tells GhanaWeb that, "the facts on the ground show clearly that the National Health Insurance Scheme has made significant successes and has become better over the years."

India

11,000 poor treated under Maharashtra health scheme: Nearly 11,000 poor people have availed free medical facilities under a Maharashtra government health initiative since it was kicked off three months ago, a top official told the Daily News.

The expanding cover: The Hindu reports on a World Bank study on health insurance in India has recommended increasing health insurance coverage for both outpatient and inpatient care to include all poor and near-poor patients. It suggests a balanced approach, building upon infrastructure already available, augmenting it with accessible private capacity and utilizing the lessons learned from the existing government-sponsored health schemes.

Indonesia

Jakarta Governor takes action on plan for improved health care access: A new campaign promises to provide underprivileged Jakartans access to free health care as early as next month. The Jakarta Globe reports that just days after Governor Joko Widodo and his deputy Basuki Tjahaja Purnama were inaugurated they began work on the project.The measure would provide city’s poor — about half of Jakarta’s 9.6 million residents — with a new heath card that will allow them to seek medical attention without fear of an expensive bill.

Philippines

Health Financing: BusinessWorld Online says that the Philippine health care system is not exempt from high out-of-pocket expenditure and its impact on health and economic outcomes.