|
|||||
|
|
Equity in Health Care Financing in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review of Evidence from Studies Using Benefit and Financing Incidence Analyses |
|
| Authors: | Augustine Asante Jennifer Price Andrew Hayen Stephen Jan Virginia Wiseman |
| Institution: | 1School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia;2The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia;3The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia;4Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom;Taipei Medical University, TAIWAN |
| Abstract: | IntroductionHealth financing reforms in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs) over the past decades have focused on achieving equity in financing of health care delivery through universal health coverage. Benefit and financing incidence analyses are two analytical methods for comprehensively evaluating how well health systems perform on these objectives. This systematic review assesses progress towards equity in health care financing in LMICs through the use of BIA and FIA.ConclusionStudies evaluated in this systematic review indicate that health care financing in LMICs benefits the rich more than the poor but the burden of financing also falls more on the rich. There is some evidence that primary health care is pro-poor suggesting a greater investment in such services and removal of barriers to care can enhance equity. The results overall suggest that there are impediments to making health care more accessible to the poor and this must be addressed if universal health coverage is to be a reality. |
| Keywords: | |