Tobacco ‘sin’ tax in Bangladesh earmarked for health
In 2015 the Bangladesh government began to levy a 1 percent Health Development Surcharge (HDS) for all tobacco products, an amount of over BDT 600 Cr (~$71M) per year. The funds collected were intended to support key government programs including tobacco...
PhilHealth Coverage of Claims Payment Scheme Expanded
The government’s pandemic response managers have expanded the coverage of the claims payment program of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to include hospitals in all high-risk and critical areas in the country. PhilHealth’s Debit-Credit Payment Method...
Thai Government increases health financing to mitigate the socio-economic impact of the Pandemic
The Cabinet has approved a THB3.75-billion fund for National Health Security Office (NHSO) health units to combat the Covid-19 emergency as part of the government’s THB1-trillion package to fight the pandemic. It will cover the cost of Covid-19 services in hospitals...
Health Insurance likely to be more expensive this year as the Pandemic increases healthcare costs
Health insurance premiums are expected to grow 1.59 percent this year amid worries over the Covid-19 outbreak says the Thai Insurance Commission with total premiums expected to rise to Bt101 billion in 2021, compared to Bt99 billion last year. Uncertainty over...
WHO/AFRO is offering a 5-month assignment to support the Health Financing and Investment program
The Health Financing and Investment (HFI) program is one of the 9 programs under the UHC Life course cluster. The main objective of the HFI program is to support countries to strengthen their Health Financing Systems and enhance progress towards UHC through generation...
Impact of COVID-19 on health care utilization and medical expenditure in the Republic of Korea in 2020
Written by Eunkyoung Kim and Tomas Roubal The Republic of Korea (ROK) has been regarded as one of successful countries in their response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). As of 28 April 2021, ROK has reported 120,673 cumulative confirmed COVID-19 cases...
Wilson Center contributor reflects on COVID-19 and structural global health shortcomings in the US and EU
The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare structural weaknesses in the domestic public health systems in place in the US and EU member states. In the US the debate and implementation on Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (‘Obamacare’) will undoubtedly continue. In...
Looking for a Health Economist position @WHO team in charge of Financial Protection?
The mission of the department of Health Systems Governance and Financing (HGF) and its units at WHO HQ is to support member countries to develop and/or sustain health financing systems that ensure access to needed health services while avoiding catastrophic...
Delay in creation of an indemnity fund led Philippines to be one of the last Southeast Asian countries to receive COVID 19 vaccine through COVAX
It is expected that countries allocate a vaccine indemnification fund for procuring COVID-19 vaccine form the COVAX facility that essentially gives indemnity to vaccine makers if their COVID-19 shots cause adverse side-effects but more importantly secures...
Patients in tents asked to pay ₱1k per hour without PhilHealth coverage
Filipinos housed in what are being called hospital tents outside hospitals due to the shortage of beds are being charged 1000 Pesos (about 20 USD) an hour despite being covered by the country’s national health insurance scheme PhilHealth. For an overnight stay, this...
Vaccine Purchase: WB to provide $500m more
The World Bank has agreed to provide $500 million to Bangladesh in additional financing to buy Covid-19 vaccines. The main objective of the WB's additional financing for this project is -- vaccination of 31 percent of the total population of the country through...
Indonesia’s State owned vaccine supplier, Bio Farma Get Loans US$450M from ADB
The Indonesian government recently received approval for a USD 450M loan from the Asian Development Bank to its domestic vaccine supplier PT Bio Farma to boost the country’s COVID-19 vaccine procurement which is under considerable stress owing to global...
Vaccine Procurement and Financing Benefits from a Coherent Approach
Nepal has largely been dependent on its neighbours India and China for its supply of COVID-19 vaccines both purchased and received as donations as the two countries’ attempt to use vaccine diplomacy to strengthen their influence on the small Himalayan...
Global spending on health: Weathering the storm
The 2020 Report analyses global health spending for 190 countries from 2000 to 2018 and provides insights as to the health spending trajectory from the MDG era to the SDG era prior to the crisis of 2020. The report shows that global spending on health continually rose...
COVID-19 in India: Who are we leaving behind?
The world's COVID-19 response has been unsettling especially regarding people living in informal settlements, migrants, refugees, and other ultra-vulnerable populations. It reiterates serious concerns about health inequality, as well as people lacking human rights and...