Findings on Health Insurance Reported by Researchers at Boston University School of Public Health (Challenges toward achieving universal health…

Findings on Health Insurance Reported by Researchers at Boston University School of Public Health (Challenges toward achieving universal health coverage in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Weekly News -- New research on Health Insurance is the subject of a report. According to news reporting originating from Boston, Massachusetts, by VerticalNews editors, the research stated, "Although many sub-Saharan African countries have made efforts to provide universal health coverage (UHC) for their citizens, several of these initiatives have achieved little success. This study aims to review the challenges facing UHC in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania, and to suggest program or policy changes that might bolster UHC."

Financial support for this research came from Boston University Pardee Center.

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from the Boston University School of Public Health, "Routine data reported by the World Bank and World Health Organization, as well as annual reports of the national health insurance schemes of Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania, were analyzed. The data were supplemented by a review of published and gray literature on health insurance coverage in these four countries. The analysis showed that some of the challenges facing UHC in these countries include (1) large proportion of the population living in extreme poverty and unable to pay premiums, (2) large informal sector whose members are mostly uninsured, (3) high dropout rate from insurance schemes, (4) poorly funded primary health care system, and (5) segmented health insurance fund pool."

According to the news editors, the research concluded: "In order to achieve UHC by 2030, it will be important for these countries to (1) raise sufficient revenue to finance their health systems, (2) improve the efficiency of revenue utilization, (3) identify and provide coverage for the very poor, (4) reduce the proportion of the population that is underinsured, and (5) improve access to quality health care in rural areas."

For more information on this research see: Challenges toward achieving universal health coverage in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania. The International Journal of Health Planning and Management, 2018;():.

The news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting C.A. Umeh, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1002/hpm.2610. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

Keywords for this news article include: Boston, Massachusetts, United States, Health Insurance, Health and Medicine, North and Central America.

Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world. Copyright 2018, NewsRx LLC