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Handbook of Global Health pp 1–41Cite as

Global Healthcare Financing

Economics, Methods, and Strategies for Sustainable Healthcare

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Abstract

There is a renewed global commitment on achieving universal health coverage (UHC) that is reflected in the increased investment of resources, advocacy efforts and the efforts of countries to design and implement various reforms for UHC. Despite the remarkable gains that many countries have made over the last four decades, access to good quality essential health services and protection from financial hardship associated with the use of health services remain.

This chapter synthesizes empirical evidence of health financing reforms globally to provide insights on effective strategies and relevant policy issues. The way health services are financed is a critical enabler of UHC. Principles of sustainable financing for UHC recognize the peculiarity of healthcare as an economic good and the consequent need to address market failures in ensuring the efficient and equitable distribution of health services. This chapter introduces key definitional issues of health financing and the theory and conceptual underpinnings of health financing. The chapter also uses case studies to present state-of-the-art evidence-based health financing interventions and their impact on the goals of UHC. Finally, the chapter addresses critical factors for the successful design and implementation of reforms for sustainable healthcare financing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. World Health Organization Country Office–India, New Delhi, India

    Grace Achungura Kabaniha

  2. Health Economics Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

    John Ele-Ojo Ataguba

  3. Health Systems Governance and Financing Department, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland

    Joseph Kutzin

Authors
  1. Grace Achungura Kabaniha
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  2. John Ele-Ojo Ataguba
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  3. Joseph Kutzin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Grace Achungura Kabaniha .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Robin Haring

  2. Global Health Programme, Graduate Institute of International and, Geneva, Switzerland

    Ilona Kickbusch

  3. Charite-Univ.-Med. Berlin, Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Detlev Ganten

  4. Africa, Brazzaville, Rep of the Congo, World Health Organization Regional Offic, Brazzaville, Congo, Demographic Republic (Zaire)

    Matshidiso Moeti

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Kabaniha, G.A., Ataguba, J.EO., Kutzin, J. (2021). Global Healthcare Financing. In: Haring, R., Kickbusch, I., Ganten, D., Moeti, M. (eds) Handbook of Global Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05325-3_68-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05325-3_68-2

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-05325-3

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Global Healthcare Financing
    Published:
    30 January 2021

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05325-3_68-2

  2. Original

    Global Healthcare Financing
    Published:
    08 September 2020

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05325-3_68-1

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