Complete list of recommended readings
Poverty and user fees for public health care in low-income countries: lessons from Uganda and Cambodia
Policies for making access to health care equitable in Uganda and Cambodia
Authors:
B. Meessen; W. Van Damme; C. K. Tashobya; A. Tibouti
Publisher:
The Lancet, 2006
This Lancet article examines two countries efforts towards making access to health care more equitable. It compares the abolition of user fees in Uganda and the establishment of health equity funds in Cambodia and identifies key issues that national policy makers should consider when making pro-poor policy choices for health-care finance. The article describes the policies undertaken in Uganda and Cambodia, and the effects of these on access to health services for poor people. It also discusses targeting mechanisms and the financial implications of removing user fees and introducing a benefit package for poor people.
The article highlights key questions for a health-financing policy that is favourable to poor people. These relate to barriers to health care; targeting; the benefit package, resources and incentives; and process of the reform. The article concludes that unfair public health systems are not inevitable, since there are solutions. The comparison between the two countries confirms that the context in which the policy operates matters. Before formulating a policy, it is necessary to have an in-depth understanding of the local needs, constraints, and opportunities.
