The Critical Role of Health Financing in Progressing Universal Health Coverage

ABSTRACT

It is clear that health financing is central to providing the different components of health systems vital to making progress in the implementation of universal health coverage (UHC). However; there are several constraints on health financing systems throughout the African Region which are impeding this progress. These include insufficient financial resources; heavy reliance on out-of-pocket health expenditure; inefficiency in management of health systems; levels of governance and accountability; harnessing stakeholder contributions in health financing; and weak research; including monitoring and evaluation. Progress is being made on the last issue with the rolling out of the revised System of Health Accounts 2011. The article concludes with a list of the Region's key requirements which would facilitate strengthening health financing and thus improve UHC