We assessed the contribution of health insurance and a functioning public sector to access to care and medicines and household economic burden.

Medicine benefits through health insurance programs have the potential to improve access to and promote more effective use of affordable, high quality medicines. Information is lacking about medicine benefits provided by health insurance programs in Sub-Saharan Africa. We describe the structure...

Objectives We assessed the contribution of health insurance and a functioning public sector to access to care and medicines and household economic burden.Methods We used descriptive and logistic regression analyses on 2002/3 World Health Survey data in 70 countries.Results Across countries,...

There is a worldwide common preference for dying at home. However, death at home does not come without significant challenges and potential consequences for families. Given the interactive nature of decisions regarding the place of death, the family's perspective is important and needs to be...

Background: The current health care reform in China launched in 2009 tackles the problem of access to appropriate medicines for its 1.3 billion people by focusing on providing essential medicines to all. To provide evidence for the reform process, we investigated the manufacturing, purchasing,...

Objectives To describe medicine utilization and access in a population covered by the Family Health Program (PSF) in Brazil.Methods Cross-sectional study with a random sample of 2988 individuals living in areas covered by 45 PSF clinics. Medicine utilization in the 15 days prior to the interview...

Objectives Adequate prenatal and delivery care are vital components of successful maternal health care provision. Starting in 1998, two programs were widely expanded in the Philippines: a national health insurance program (PhilHealth); and a donor-funded franchise of midwife clinics (Well Family...

A series of nine on-site ocular surveys has been carried out in rural Kenya. This article summarizes the organizational and logistical experiences of these site surveys.

Health insurance systems have great potential to improve the cost-effective use of medicines by leveraging better provider prescribing, more cost-effective use by consumers, and lower prices from industry. Despite ample evidence from high-income countries, little is known about insurance system...

Over the last decade, pharmaceutical selection, procurement, distribution, and financing have improved as a result of essential drugs programs. However, despite improved availability, pharmaceuticals are frequently used irrationally. The International Network for the Rational Use of Drugs...