Implementing Health Financing Reforms in Africa: Perspectives of Health System Stewards

<p>Background</p><p>A majority of health systems in the sub-Saharan Africa region are faced with multiple competing priorities amid pressing resource constraints. Health financing reforms, characterized by expansion of health insurance coverage, have been proposed as promising in t...

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Autores principales:	Tom Achoki, Abaleng Lesego
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Ubiquity Press 2017
Materias:	health systems health financing reform access to medicines health insurance Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/ac4d6f3326a14437a574b3307590f19b
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:ac4d6f3326a14437a574b3307590f19b2021-12-02T02:20:32ZImplementing Health Financing Reforms in Africa: Perspectives of Health System Stewards2214-999610.1016/j.aogh.2016.09.008https://doaj.org/article/ac4d6f3326a14437a574b3307590f19b2017-03-01T00:00:00Zhttps://annalsofglobalhealth.org/articles/719https://doaj.org/toc/2214-9996<p>Background</p><p>A majority of health systems in the sub-Saharan Africa region are faced with multiple competing priorities amid pressing resource constraints. Health financing reforms, characterized by expansion of health insurance coverage, have been proposed as promising in the quest to improve health sustainably. However, in many countries where these measures are being attempted, their broader implications have not been fully appreciated.</p><p>Methods</p><p>This study was based on perspectives of 37 health system stewards from Botswana who were interviewed in order to understand opportunities and challenges that would result in the quest to expand health insurance coverage in the country. Thematic synthesis of their perspectives, focusing on the key aspects of the health systems, was done in order to draw informative lessons that could be applicable to a broader set of low- and middle-income countries.</p><p>Findings</p><p>Health systems attempting to expand health insurance coverage would be faced with various opportunities and challenges that have implications on performance. By increasing the pool of resources available to spend on health, health insurance would afford health systems the opportunity to increase population access to and use of health services. However, if unchecked, this could also translate to uncontrolled demand for expensive medicines and other health technologies, leading to cost escalation and inefficiencies within the system. Therefore, the success of any health financing reform is dependent on embracing sound policies, regulations, and accountability measures.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>Health financing reforms have broader implications to health system performance that should be fully appreciated and anticipated before implementation. Therefore, health system leaders who are keen to improve health must view any health financing reforms through the broader framework of the health system framework in order to make progress.Tom AchokiAbaleng LesegoUbiquity Pressarticlehealth systemshealth financing reformaccess to medicineshealth insuranceInfectious and parasitic diseasesRC109-216Public aspects of medicineRA1-1270ENAnnals of Global Health, Vol 82, Iss 5, Pp 903-911 (2017)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	health systems health financing reform access to medicines health insurance Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270
spellingShingle	health systems health financing reform access to medicines health insurance Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 Tom Achoki Abaleng Lesego Implementing Health Financing Reforms in Africa: Perspectives of Health System Stewards
description	<p>Background</p><p>A majority of health systems in the sub-Saharan Africa region are faced with multiple competing priorities amid pressing resource constraints. Health financing reforms, characterized by expansion of health insurance coverage, have been proposed as promising in the quest to improve health sustainably. However, in many countries where these measures are being attempted, their broader implications have not been fully appreciated.</p><p>Methods</p><p>This study was based on perspectives of 37 health system stewards from Botswana who were interviewed in order to understand opportunities and challenges that would result in the quest to expand health insurance coverage in the country. Thematic synthesis of their perspectives, focusing on the key aspects of the health systems, was done in order to draw informative lessons that could be applicable to a broader set of low- and middle-income countries.</p><p>Findings</p><p>Health systems attempting to expand health insurance coverage would be faced with various opportunities and challenges that have implications on performance. By increasing the pool of resources available to spend on health, health insurance would afford health systems the opportunity to increase population access to and use of health services. However, if unchecked, this could also translate to uncontrolled demand for expensive medicines and other health technologies, leading to cost escalation and inefficiencies within the system. Therefore, the success of any health financing reform is dependent on embracing sound policies, regulations, and accountability measures.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>Health financing reforms have broader implications to health system performance that should be fully appreciated and anticipated before implementation. Therefore, health system leaders who are keen to improve health must view any health financing reforms through the broader framework of the health system framework in order to make progress.
format	article
author	Tom Achoki Abaleng Lesego
author_facet	Tom Achoki Abaleng Lesego
author_sort	Tom Achoki
title	Implementing Health Financing Reforms in Africa: Perspectives of Health System Stewards
title_short	Implementing Health Financing Reforms in Africa: Perspectives of Health System Stewards
title_full	Implementing Health Financing Reforms in Africa: Perspectives of Health System Stewards
title_fullStr	Implementing Health Financing Reforms in Africa: Perspectives of Health System Stewards
title_full_unstemmed	Implementing Health Financing Reforms in Africa: Perspectives of Health System Stewards
title_sort	implementing health financing reforms in africa: perspectives of health system stewards
publisher	Ubiquity Press
publishDate	2017
url	https://doaj.org/article/ac4d6f3326a14437a574b3307590f19b
work_keys_str_mv	AT tomachoki implementinghealthfinancingreformsinafricaperspectivesofhealthsystemstewards AT abalenglesego implementinghealthfinancingreformsinafricaperspectivesofhealthsystemstewards
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Implementing Health Financing Reforms in Africa: Perspectives of Health System Stewards

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