One approach to development assistance for health, or health aid, emphasizes the ex ante selection of cost-effective health interventions, an approach that began with the World Development Report (1993) on Investing in Health and has since been adopted by the Effective Altruism community. But just h...ow much of health aid is cost-effective? In this paper, we examine projects in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Creditor Reporting System, the standard dataset that measures and characterizes development assistance for health, for the
years 2019 to 2021, and count the number of projects that refer to interventions from a list of highly cost-effective interventions as defined by the Disease Control Priorities Project, third edition. This exploratory quantitative analysis indicates that 61% of projects used a key word/phrase of a costeffective intervention. There were 11.9 interventions mapped per project on average. There is little evidence that donors tailor the set of interventions to country income levels by cost-effectiveness.
Policymakers may benefit from reviewing the full portfolio of interventions covered by domestic and external resources.
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The relative priority received by issues
in global health agendas is subjected to impressionistic
claims in the absence of objective methods of assessment
of priority. To build an approach for conducting structured
assessments of comparative priority health issues receive,
we expand the public ...arenas model (2021) and offer a
framework for future assessments of health issue priority
in global and national health agendas.
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IHME’s Financing Global Health report provides an overview of health spending around the world, with a special focus on investments in health in low- and middle-income countries. The report examines how this funding for health is changing each year and forecasts how it may change in the future. Fi...nancing Global Health examines where money for health originates and what health issues it funds.
This year, Financing Global Health 2023 looks at how interest payments on loans that many countries took out during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep their economies afloat and their people protected are now straining health budgets. It also details how development partners’ investments in health in low- and middle-income countries – development assistance for health – have changed since reaching historic levels during the COVID-19 pandemic, dropping by $19.4 billion between 2021 and 2023, from $84.0 billion to $64.6 billion.
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As a recognized win–win-win approach to international debt relief, Debt-to-Health(D2H)has successfully translated debt repayments into investments in health-related projects. Although D2H has experienced modifications and periodic suspension, it has been playing an increasingly important role in r...esource mobilization in public health, particularly for low-and middle-income countries deep in debt.
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Development finance is at a turning point, as the macroeconomic environment has changed profoundly and the financing gap for low- and middle-income countries has widened. The events that led to this new situation are the multiple crises that the global economy is facing, such as the climate crisis, ...the COVID-19 crisis and the war in Ukraine. As a
result, interest rates have risen sharply over the past year and are not expected to decline anytime soon. High interest rates further restrict low- and middle-income countries’ access to international financial markets by making borrowing more expensive. At the same time, debt
levels in several countries are rising to levels that are almost impossible to repay. Poorer countries find themselves in a trap where financing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) becomes a distant goal for them.
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Achieving universal health coverage (UHC) is a politicalambition in many low- and middle-income countries(LMICs). Public funding has been recognized as funda-mental to the two dimensions of UHC: expanding healthservice coverage and increasing protection against health-related financial hardship. Rel...atedly, there is growing con-sensus in academic and applied policy circles that publicfinancial management (PFM)—the “systems engineering”of public financing—is a critical enabling factor for anyhealth system reform in support of UHC.
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Achieving financial risk protection for the whole population requires significant financing for health. Health systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) are plagued with persistent underfunding, and recent reductions in official development assistance have been registered. To create fiscal
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space for health, the pursuit of efficiency gains and exploring innovative health financing for health seem attractive. This paper sought to synthesize available evidence on the nature of innovative health financing instruments, mechanisms and policies implemented in Africa. We further reviewed the factors that hinder or facilitate implementation, the lessons learnt on the structure, the development process and the implementation.
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Development assistance for health (DAH)
plays a vital role in supporting health programmes in lowand middle-income countries. While DAH has historically
focused on infectious diseases and maternal and child
health, there is a lack of comprehensive analysis of DAH
trends, strategic shifts and the...ir impact on health systems
and outcomes. This study aims to provide a comprehensive
review of DAH from 1990 to 2022, examining its evolution
and funding allocation shifts.
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Nigeria’s healthcare system faces significant challenges in financing and quality, impacting the delivery of services to its growing population. This study investigates healthcare workers’ perceptions of these challenges and their implications for healthcare policy and practice. A cross-sectiona...l survey was conducted with 600 healthcare professionals from eight states across Nigeria, representing a variety of healthcare occupations. Participants completed a questionnaire that assessed their perceptions of healthcare financing, quality of care, job satisfaction, and motivation using a 5-point Likert scale, closed- and open-ended questions. Descriptive statistics, Chi-squared test, and regression analysis were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that healthcare workers were generally not satisfied with the current state of healthcare financing and system quality in Nigeria. Poor funding, inadequate infrastructure, insufficient staffing, and limited access to essential resources were identified as major challenges.
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Covid-19 has reinforced health and economic cases for investing in pandemic preparedness and response (PPR). The World Bank and World Health Organization (WHO) propose that low- and middle-income
governments and donor countries should invest $31.1 billion each year for PPR. We analyse, based on the... projected economic growth of countries between 2022 and 2027, how likely it is that low- and middle-income country governments and donors can mobilize the estimated funding.
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Conditioned domestic financing policy, referring to the domestic financing of health projects, programs, and national responses conditioned by global health funding agencies and recipient country governments, is one mechanism to promote sustainability and country ownership. We aim to understand how ...the concept is defined and operationalized by agencies and how such policies relate to overall health spending patterns.
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Over the past few decades, the world has witnessed considerable progress in women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health (WCAH) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet deep inequities remain between and within countries. This scoping review aims to map financing interventions and meas...ures to improve equity in WCAH in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
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In 21st century capitalism, financial markets reign supreme. The elevation of investing, trading, and speculating as a way of making profit has shifted economic power towards institutional investors and enhanced the power of financial capital. Financialisation has introduced uncertainty in the commi...tment to public provision of goods and services. The behaviours of corporations focus more on profit for shareholders and senior executives to the detriment of wages, worker protections, livelihoods, and impact on prices and the environment. The practices of this financial system
pose major challenges to public health and planetary health equity through the influence on social inequality, climate change, and health outcomes. The aim of this Viewpoint is to expand the understanding of the commercial determinants of health to explicitly include the financial system and present key plausible pathways via which the financialisation of advanced economies influences public health and planetary health equity.
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The attainment of global health security goals and universal health coverage will remain a mirage unless African health systems are adequately funded to improve resilience to public health emergencies. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the global inequity in accessing medical countermeasures, leaving Af...rican countries far behind. As we anticipate the next pandemic, improving investments in health systems to adequately finance pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (PPPR) promptly, ensuring equity and access to medical countermeasures,
is crucial. In this article, we analyze the African and global pandemic financing initiatives and put ways forward for policymakers and the global health community to consider.
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The TACT training manuals and patient leaflet were developed as part of the ACT Consortium's initiative to improve malaria case management by promoting the correct use of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). The TACT ("Targeting ACTs") initiative aims to ensure that artemisinin-based combination therapies... (ACTs) are used appropriately, treating only confirmed malaria cases and guiding alternative care for other febrile illnesses.
Please download the manuals and leaflets from the website
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Os manuais de formação TACT e o folheto para o paciente foram desenvolvidos no âmbito da iniciativa do ACT Consortium para melhorar a gestão dos casos de malária e promover a utilização correta dos testes de diagnóstico rápido (RDT). A iniciativa TACT ("Targeting ACTs") visa garantir a util...ização adequada das terapias combinadas à base de artemisinina (ACT), tratando apenas os casos de malária confirmados e orientando os cuidados alternativos para outras doenças febris. Os manuais oferecem formação interativa, baseada no local de trabalho, para auxiliar os profissionais de saúde na transição do tratamento presuntivo para um diagnóstico baseado em testes, em conformidade com a política da OMS. O folheto para o paciente, disponível em inglês e suáili, utiliza histórias ilustradas para explicar a importância e o objetivo dos TDR, abordar preocupações comuns e incentivar a confiança nos resultados dos testes. Após terem sido pré-testados quanto à sua clareza e compreensão, estes materiais apoiam mudanças sustentáveis na prática clínica e na comunicação com os doentes no âmbito dos cuidados de saúde primários na Tanzânia.
Accessed on 03/07/2025.
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The Malaria Prevention Campaign, launched in Oromia Region of Ethiopia recognized communities for taking specific actions to combat malaria. The focus of the campaign was around small, doable actions that families carry out to protect themselves against malaria. The community volunteers under direct...ion from the Community Mobilization Committee (CMC) energized and supported their communities, families, and schools to take the actions necessary to prevent malaria.
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The Zambia Malaria Campaign, implemented by Breakthrough ACTION, used culturally tailored radio adverts and a campaign song to encourage key behaviours for preventing and treating malaria. The campaign targeted high-risk groups, such as pregnant women and caregivers of children under five, and deliv...ered messages in multiple local languages, including English, Siswati and Tonga. The audio content encouraged the consistent use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), seeking timely care for fevers, and preventing malaria during pregnancy. Through addressing common myths and promoting positive social norms in an engaging way, the campaign aimed to increase community knowledge and encourage long-lasting behavioural change in malaria-endemic regions of Zambia.
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Tanzania has an estimated 2.9 million adults with diabetes, 35% of whom are undiagnosed, and over 22,000 people living with type 1 diabetes. While the 2023 Universal Health Insurance law aims to improve access to care, only 15% of people are insured. Over 700 clinics provide diabetes care and offer ...free insulin to children and young adults. However, challenges remain regarding insulin availability, diagnostics, patient education and the healthcare workforce. Community engagement, training and policy advocacy are essential for improving diabetes management and achieving universal health coverage.
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This brochure provides comprehensive information on type 2 diabetes, including its causes, symptoms, risk factors, how to prevent it, and how to manage it. It emphasises the importance of a healthy diet, regular exercise, and taking medication as prescribed to control blood sugar levels. It provides... practical advice on diet and lifestyle changes, as well as foot care, and highlights the importance of regular check-ups and blood glucose monitoring. The guide also warns of potential complications such as low and high blood sugar levels and long-term organ damage, emphasising the importance of early detection and consistent care. It encourages education and community support, such as joining the Zimbabwe Diabetes Association, to help individuals with diabetes live healthy lives.
Accessed on 17/07/2025.
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