UHC Forward Blog

The Week in Headlines

UHC Forward's Weekly Roundup of Headlines from Around the Globe

Week of July 8, 2013 - 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 universal health coverage (UHC).

Below is a list of UHC-related headlines from around the world.

Promoting universal financial protection in Nigeria

Chima Onoka is one of the authors of Promoting universal financial protection: constraints and enabling factors in scaling-up coverage with social health insurance in Nigeria

Nigeria is on the brink of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC)... That is probably everyone’s wish. The reality though is that many hurdles separate Nigeria from that dream. Achieving UHC in Nigeria implies having financial risk protection for 150 million people, a step that for certain, will change African and global indices. Eight years after setting up a National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), 4% of Nigerians are covered by the scheme, largely through the Formal Sector Social Health Insurance Programme (FSSHIP) that currently, covers employees of the federal government and their families. The NHIS, an agency of the federal government, has established a plethora of social health insurance schemes (SHIPs) to ferry various population groups to the dreamland: Formal Sector SHIP (FSSHIP), Voluntary contributors SHIP (VCSHIP), Tertiary Institutions SHIP (TSSHIP), Community Based SHIP (CBSHIP), Rural Dwellers SHIP (RDSHIP), among others.

The Week in Headlines

UHC Forward's Weekly Roundup of Headlines from Around the Globe

Week of July 1, 2013 - 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 universal health coverage (UHC).

Below is a list of UHC-related headlines from around the world.

Singapore: A Model for Healthcare Systems in Emerging Economies

It is no secret that the escalating cost of healthcare is becoming a threat to the economies of most-developed nations. In the United States, for example, healthcare absorbs almost eighteen percent of the gross domestic product – 2.8 trillion dollars – and reaches deep into the pockets of middle and low income families. A clamorous, polarizing debate has erupted in the US over the future of care: What can we cut? What should be covered? Who should pay? Who should be denied medical treatment?

Similarly, the National Health Service of the United Kingdom is facing major budget cuts and increased demand for services that, in the eyes of observers, are making the current system unsustainable.

The Week in Headlines

UHC Forward's Weekly Roundup of Headlines from Around the Globe

Week of June 24, 2013 - 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 universal health coverage (UHC).

Below is a list of UHC-related headlines from around the world. If you are viewing this on the web and would prefer to receive The Week in Headlines in your inbox every week, subscribe to the email edition.

GENERAL NEWS

Singapore: A Model for Healthcare Systems in Emerging Economies: It is no secret that the escalating cost of healthcare is becoming a threat to the economies of most-developed nations.

New report highlights a unique collaborative model designed to accelerate country progress toward universal health coverage

Cross-posted with permission from the Joint Learning Network

We are pleased to share a new report that documents the work over the past few years of the Joint Learning Network for Universal Health Coverage (JLN). Our countries -- Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mali, Malaysia, Nigeria, the Philippines, and Vietnam -- along with numerous other countries around the world, are currently striving to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) to protect our citizens against financial risk, increase access to health services, and improve health outcomes.

The Week in Headlines

UHC Forward's Weekly Roundup of Headlines from Around the Globe

Week of June 17, 2013 - 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 universal health coverage (UHC).

Below is a list of UHC-related headlines from around the world.

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 universal health coverage (UHC).

Below is a list of UHC-related headlines from around the world for the week of June 10, 2013. If you are viewing this on the web and would prefer to receive The Week in Headlines in your inbox every week, subscribe to the email edition.

COUNTRY NEWS

Ghana

Nigerian health delegation in Ghana to understudy NHIS: A 15-member delegation from Nigeria visited Ghana for a week-long study tour of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

UHC with an African lens

Universal health coverage (UHC) is raised and discussed all over. At any global health event, Ministry of Health speeches and in the title of articles, reports and research. The concept is moving the public health agenda just as HIV/Aids did a decade ago. However, this momentum does not mean everybody has the same understanding of UHC, specially at community or CSO level where people are used to working and thinking according to diseases and with health policies often defined without their input.

This is the primary reason that the Ghana Universal Access to Healthcare campaign is putting together some examples and explanations to help African constituencies better understand the concept and be better skilled to take part in the global and national discussions around UHC's implementation and the post 2015 framework.

Why is UHC out of the post 2015 goals?

Appointed by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, the 27-member High Level Panel (HLP) comprised of eminent people from a variety of backgrounds. Co-chaired by Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the Indonesian president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the Liberian president and British Prime minister, David Cameron, the panel published its report on May 30.

The report clearly outlines the bold ambition to end poverty by 2030, promote gender quality, improve access to quality education, water and sanitation, promote good governance and build strong effective institutions. It posits five transformative shifts: leave no one behind; put sustainable development at the core; transform economies for jobs and inclusive growth; build peace and effective, open and accountable institutions for all, and forge a new global partnership. These shifts are crucial to achieving all highlighted goals. The wide range of consultations that led to this report is unprecedented.