Achieving Universal Healthcare Coverage in Ethiopia Through a Healthcare Financing Lens
Abstract
Since the mid-1970s, Ethiopia has been working towards achieving universal health coverage (UHC) to provide access to high-quality and necessary medical services to its citizens without incurring huge financial burdens on their households. However, questions concerning how financially feasible implementing UHC would be if poverty and health disparities persist throughout the country. This paper focuses on the need for health systems thinking, specifically centring on healthcare financing to improve Ethiopia’s delivery of equitable health care services. A systematic review was carried out in which literature revealed that more financing is necessary to achieve UHC in the country.
Additionally, adopting a UHC financing model will address the current inequitable distribution of public spending on health which has the potential to increase the resilience of the healthcare system while improving access to health care and essential medicines. Currently, multiple factors contribute to Ethiopia’s low UHC, further exacerbating health inequities already caused by poverty and infectious disease. Therefore, investment in health service financing must be scaled-up for UHC to be achieved. UHC financing will allow for transparent, equitable, and efficient allocation of healthcare resources.