A guide to promote health systems strengthening to achieve universal health coverage.
How 2016 became the worst year for Syria's children
Tuberculosis cases, TB deaths
New data from the WHO reveal that an estimated 2.2 billion cases of malaria and 12.7 million deaths have been averted since 2000, but the disease remains a serious global health threat, particularly in the WHO African Region. According to WHO’s latest World malaria report, there were an estimated ...263 million cases and 597 000 malaria deaths worldwide in 2023. This represents about 11 million more cases in 2023 compared to 2022, and nearly the same number of deaths. Approximately 95% of the deaths occurred in the WHO African Region, where many at risk still lack access to the services they need to prevent, detect and treat the disease.
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To meet our Strategy objectives and get within reach
of the 2030 SDG 3 target related to the three diseases,
the Global Fund needs to raise US$18 billion for the
Eighth Replenishment. That sum is essential to drive the
required pace of progress in the fight against HIV, TB
and malaria, and to m...aintain the necessary investments
in health and community systems.
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The Global Health Expenditure Report delves into the intricate landscape of global economies and health systems. This year, it focuses on health spending in 2022, the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic. It shows how countries around the world responded to the health and economic shocks of the pande...mic from a financial perspective. It also considers what the future may hold as countries emerge from the pandemic. Although it is still too early to gauge whether the COVID-19 pandemic has altered long-term trends in health spending, spending appears to have peaked and is now at or below its long-term rising trend in most country income groups. Additionally, to mark the 25th anniversary of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Health Expenditure Tracking Program, the report reviews the program’s achievements and envisions a path forward. As the program’s lead technical agency, WHO is committed to working closely with partners to support countries in tracking health spending and sustaining the Global Health Expenditure Database and the Global Health Expenditure Report as global public goods.
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This paper was commissioned by N´weti and Wemos as part
of the project “Equitable health financing for a strong health
system in Mozambique”. Its purpose is to contribute to the
debate of the Mozambican Ministry of Health’s draft Health
Sector Financing Strategy (HSFS) 2025 – 2034
Rising levels of inflation, debt and macrofiscal tightening are putting expenditures on the social sectors including health under immense scrutiny. Already, there are worrying signs of reductions in social sector investments. However, even before the pandemic, evidence showed the significant returns... on investments in health equity and its social determinants. Emerging data and trends show that these potential returns have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic - investments in social determinants can mitigate widespread reductions in human capital and the increasing likelihood of costly syndemics, while promoting access to healthcare innovations that have thus far been inequitably distributed. Therefore, we argue that, despite immediate fiscal pressures, this is exactly the time to invest in health equity and its broader social determinants, as the returns on such investments have never been greater.
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En tant que département technique de l'OMS chargé du paludisme, le Programme mondial de lutte contre le paludisme a un rôle important à jouer dans la conduite de la riposte mondiale contre cette maladie. Grâce à ses actions directes et à son réseau, il peut façonner l'écosystème du paludi...sme et avoir un impact au niveau des pays. Dans cette optique, le Programme mondial de lutte contre le paludisme a élaboré une stratégie opérationnelle décrivant ses priorités pour la période 2024-2030 et les 4 leviers stratégiques pour contrôler et éliminer le paludisme qui relèvent de manière décisive du mandat du Programme : normes et critères, nouveaux outils et innovation, informations stratégiques axées sur les résultats et leadership. La stratégie décrit la façon dont le Programme mondial de lutte contre le paludisme se transformera également en la mise en place d’une collaboration plus efficace avec d’autres programmes, les bureaux régionaux et pays ainsi que les partenaires, en s’appuyant sur les enseignements tirés du treizième programme général de travail de l'OMS (GPW13) et des priorités du GPW14.
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Zambia is facing a severe economic crisis marked by high inflation, increasing poverty and a heavy debt burden that is straining both its fiscal stability and progress in health outcomes. By 2020, the country's external debt reached United States dollars (USD) 12.7 billion, representing 108% of the ...country's gross domestic product (GDP). In 2020, Zambia sought assistance through the G20 Common Framework and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Extended Credit Facility (ECF), securing a USD 1.7 billion loan over 5 years. IMF loans, however, come with austerity measures that prioritise fiscal discipline but could potentially exacerbate social inequalities. These measures, which include increasing consumer taxes on goods and services (value added taxes - VATs), electricity tariffs and fuel prices, disproportionately impact vulnerable populations, raising concerns about their long-term effects on essential services, especially accessible and good quality healthcare services.
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This comprehensive HPFM report thoroughly explores Kenya’s health financing landscape. It provides an in-depth analysis of the current state of affairs and sheds light on required strategic changes in health financing. The report points out the need to improve public financial management within th...e health sector, for more efficient financial systems. It focuses on better resourceraising and utilization mechanisms. The matrix highlights the need for consolidation of fragmented health financing arrangements, for a more efficient health system. It also emphasizes the need for enhancing strategic purchasing of health services, to improve the overall efficiency and quality of care. Additionally, the report stresses the critical
role of leveraging data and information systems for more evidence-based informed decision-making. These recommendations are crucial for advancing Kenya’s health financing system and moving closer to the UHC goal.
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In 2019, the Task Force on Fiscal Policy for Health concluded that taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages were a highly effective but greatly underused policy tool to reduce consumption, save lives, and raise domestic resources. The Task Force estimated that if all countries increa...sed their excise taxes to raise prices by 50 percent, over 50 million premature deaths could be averted worldwide over the next 50 years while
raising over USD 20 trillion of additional revenue. Since the Task Force first convened, the world has faced a “polycrisis,” including a global pandemic, an economic recession, and the outbreak of wars in Europe and the Middle East. Against this backdrop, the world has also experienced prolonged health and fiscal crises. Health systems, weakened by the COVID-19 pandemic, lack sufficient financing to rebuild and respond to the surging noncommunicable diseases epidemic caused by uncontrolled risk factors such as tobacco, alcohol, and sugar consumption. Opportunities to raise domestic resources are limited and debt burdens have squeezed budgets. The period from 2019 to 2027 risks becoming a “lost decade” for health and social policies, with 110 countries facing little prospect of any
ability to raise government revenues beyond current levels. In this paper, we describe the current health and fiscal crises and review the contribution that health taxes could make in turning around this dire situation. We conclude that taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and
sugar-sweetened beverages are an ideal policy solution—good for the budget and good for health. These taxes are relatively quick to implement, and, unlike other taxes, do not put economic growth at risk—a vital benefit in the current era.
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The guidelines are primarily intended for health-care professionals working in first- or second-level health-care facilities, including emergency, inpatient and outpatient services. They are also directed at policy-makers, health-care planners and programme managers, academic institutions, non-gover...nmental and civil society organizations to inform capacity-building, teaching and research agendas.
Web annex A provides the quantitative evidence reports, Web annex B summarizes the qualitative and economic evidence and Web annex C presents the Evidence-to-Decision frameworks.
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Tuberculosis (TB) is among the top ten most common causes of death globally and as a single infectious disease it top among infectious diseases. Furthermore, it is noted as the top causes of death among people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Despite recent decreases in the numb...er of notified cases, Namibia still has a high TB burden and is included among the top 30 high-burden TB countries by the World Health Organisation (WHO). In the 2018 Global TB Report, the estimated incidence rate of TB in Namibia was 423/100,000. The same report estimated that 60 people per 100,000 populations died of TB in Namibia, which is a concern, for a disease that is curable and preventable.
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Strengthening health financing to accelerate progress towards universal health coverage. Total Government Health Expenditure exceeds the commitment by African Union member states to commit at least 15% of their budgets to the health sector. With a sector allocation of 16.6% of total budget in 2022/...23 and average per capita spending estimated at US$407 (N$6,500.00), health spending in Namibia is one of the highest in SADC. The Government is thus encouraged to sustain this level of investment to safeguard the gains achieved and make progress towards SDGs. This could be achieved through the development of a national health financing strategy to mobilise additional and innovative resources for the sector.
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Getting back on track to cutting malaria by 90% could boost African economies by $127bn by 2030. This important new report shows we can save lives, boost economies and trade, creating a healthier world
This policy brief presents a summary of current evidence on vulnerability to TB and proposes interventions for equitable, person-centred, and human rights-based TB prevention and care. It aligns with WHO policies and guidance on TB prevention and screening, management of TB and comorbidities, access... to health care, universal health coverage, determinants of TB, TB-associated impairment and disability, social protection, as well as ethics, equity and human rights.
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Le Plan Stratégique National de Lutte contre le Paludisme au Cameroun 2019–2023 vise à réduire l’incidence et la mortalité liées au paludisme dans tout le pays, en mettant l’accent sur les groupes les plus vulnérables comme les enfants de moins de 5 ans et les femmes enceintes. Il repose... sur des interventions de prévention (moustiquaires imprégnées, pulvérisation intradomiciliaire, chimioprévention saisonnière), un accès universel au diagnostic rapide et au traitement efficace, ainsi qu’un renforcement de la gouvernance, du système de santé, de la surveillance épidémiologique et de la communication pour le changement de comportement. Le plan s’inscrit dans la continuité des stratégies nationales et internationales, avec une approche participative impliquant les autorités nationales, les partenaires techniques et financiers, les communautés locales et le secteur privé.
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