This piece originally appeared on P4H The now: removing financial barriers to COVID 19 testing and services On May 1, the Kenyan Ministry of Health rolled out free testing for COVID 19 in Nairobi and other areas with disease hotspots. Two days later, the Ministry noted in dismay that the turnout for free testing was much lower than […]

This piece originally appeared on P4H MAKING PURCHASING FIT FOR PURPOSE In the Philippines, the COVID-19 response has called for rapid adaptation of purchasing arrangements. In early 2019, the Philippines passed a Universal Health Care (UHC) Law that envisions the national health insurance agency PhilHealth as the dominant strategic purchaser of individual-based health services while the […]

This piece originally appeared on P4H Governments around the world are scrambling to get their hands on personal protective equipment, test kits, ventilators and oxygen. But on the frontlines of service delivery in Kenya, we are also hearing about local health officials and facility managers needing money for more mundane things like fuel for ambulances and airtime […]

Now more than ever, the spotlight is shining on the entrenched relationship between health and food. The COVID-19 pandemic has moved dozens of health systems to the brink in low-, middle- and even in high-income countries, and threatens to undermine food systems around the world. If more corrective action is not taken, we are at […]

“The cord might be around her neck, so we will need to schedule a C-section. How does next Wednesday sound?” My obstetrician smiled reassuringly. It was 1992 in Brazil. My first C-section. Not medically necessary I’ve come to learn. Brazil offers a cautionary tale of C-section rates over 50% of all births, well above the […]

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) recently awarded Jhpiego a $20 million contract for the Strategic Technical Assistance for Improved Health System Performance and Health Outcomes Activity (STAIP) project in Liberia. ThinkWell is a member of Jhpiego’s project consortium. The four-year project has three main objectives: Strengthen the management capacity of county health teams and […]

Dear ThinkWell community, The COVID-19 pandemic has rattled health systems and upended people’s lives around the globe. As the virus spreads into countries where we work, ThinkWell has mobilized to support COVID-19 response efforts. At the same time, we are dedicated to protecting our team’s safety and reducing the virus’s spread. In collaboration with local […]

MARCH 19, 2020 – The Immunization Costing Action Network (ICAN) added over 50% more cost data to the Immunization Delivery Cost Catalogue (IDCC). In addition, ICAN’s member countries – Indonesia, Tanzania, and Vietnam – released cost evidence to address challenges at the top of each country’s immunization financing agenda. The systematic review behind the IDCC […]

When a pregnant woman in Kenya or a child with fever in Indonesia visits a clinic, a purchasing agency will pay a health provider for the services the patient receives. For a single service, funds often flow from different purchasing agencies to health providers through a mix of payments. Many countries are trying to change […]