Research Briefs

From 2017 to 2020, Rwanda’s current Gross Domestic Product (GDP) showed a positive trend, rising from 882 billion USD to 919 billion USD in 2019-20. Over the same period, regarding healthcare financing, Rwanda’s Total Health Expenditure (THE) witnessed a steady increase over the three years under review. Additionally, THE as a percentage of GDP also demonstrated an upward trajectory, reflecting the country’s commitment to healthcare investment. Furthermore, Rwanda’s per capita THE in USD exhibited an upward trend over the same period. Download the evidence brief  to read more on the findings.  

Despite successes, challenges remain in extending coverage to informal sector workers and addressing disparities in service accessibility across regions. The review of Indonesia’s health financing approaches provides valuable insights for other countries, particularly in leveraging private sector participation, enhancing revenue and risk pooling, and decentralising health spending to improve service delivery.

Zambia has made some progress in improving its health system and expanding access to health services, especially for the poor and vulnerable groups (Masiye et al., 2016). However, it still relies on external funding, high out-of-pocket (OOP) payments, and low coverage of health insurance (Chansa et al., 2020). To address these challenges, Zambia has adopted and implemented various innovative health financing mechanisms. This evidence brief unpacks the health financing mechanisms in Zambia.

Investing in healthcare is not just a matter of well-being; it’s a strategic move for economic prosperity. Kenya, like many other nations, grapples with a complex web of health challenges, from infectious diseases to non-communicable ailments, all intertwined with broader socio-economic dynamics. By prioritising health, Kenya can unlock its economic potential and foster inclusive growth. Read our evidence brief on macroeconomic importance of health in support of more money for health: A case for Kenya:

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health problem and the fourth leading cause of death in Kenya. Based on WHO End TB Strategy targets set in 2015, Kenya was among seven high TB countries that had achieved their first milestone of a 20% reduction in the TB incidence rate by 2021. An effective supply chain management system ensures a consistent and uninterrupted supply of TB medications and commodities. It ensures timely and accurate distribution of TB commodities while preventing stock-outs or shortages. Read more from the policy brief here:

Multiple factors have been reported to drive the burden of TB among men globally, including behavioural factors such as tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption, social mixing, risky occupational exposures such as mining, and poor access to health services.  These existing disparities pose a challenge to achieving broader progress towards global TB elimination, necessitating the identification of high-risk groups as the first step toward developing equitable policies and targeted interventions. Cross-sectoral collaboration among government agencies is essential to ensure synergy and complementarity in policies and strategies that are aimed at engaging men in TB programming. Read more from this evidence brief […]

Social health insurance (SHI) is a health finance mechanism that seeks to equitably protect people against financial and health burdens through risk pooling, which considers both the health risks of the people and the contributions by individuals, households, enterprises, and the government. SHI is being implemented in many countries as one of their main mechanisms for achieving universal health care (UHC). SHI typically has three characteristics: compulsory enrolment with members paying a specific premium; only those registered are entitled to benefits; and a legislation outlining the benefits members are entitled to for the premium amount they paid. Kenya is a […]

Researchers at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) with support from the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) conducted a pilot study in four of Kenya’s 47 counties selected to represent Kenya’s different disease zones to understand the diagnostic capability of health facilities in Kenya. The study aimed to develop a Diagnostic for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Tracker, to promote integration of diagnostic data in decision-making to improve access and quality of primary care services. Click here to read more.

In the lead up to the Kenya’s Devolution conference in August 2023, African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP), through the Advance Domestic Health Financing project, presented a rapid synthesis of published and grey literature highlighting select successes and challenges of existing initiatives to inform ongoing and future county level Social Health Insurance fund and Universal Health Coverage reforms and implementation processes in Kenya and other countries with a similar devolved governance structure. The evidence brief was published in the Council of Governors booklet: Celebrating a decade of county-led health service delivery for economic growth in Kenya; Repositioning primary health care […]

In 2020, men comprised 66% of all reported TB cases in Kenya. The TB cases were notably higher in males compared to females at 56.5% and 32.5% respectively while the prevalence for children was 11%.3    There are concerted efforts to care for and prevent TB through screening, timely diagnosis, treatment, and preventive mechanisms. Read more:

Globally and in Africa, health is recognised as critical for sustainable development and there has been growing pressure on governments to allocate adequate resources to health. This brief starts by highlighting global and regional commitments that African countries have ratified that focus on health and domestic health financing and the status, challenges and opportunities for African governments to translate these commitments at country level. The brief then highlights three key innovations in domestic health financing and efficient use of resources being implemented and explored in Africa and elsewhere. This brief is based on a rapid review of existing evidence and […]

Globally, 2.8 million newborns die each year, with low and middle-income countries (LMICs) contributing to 98% of this burden.  In Kenya, neonatal mortality has continued to be a major health challenge for the past decade. Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) is an effective evidence-based intervention to reduce neonatal morbidity and mortality, and the health system plays an essential role in the scale-up and adoption of KMC. Read further on these neonatal interventions.