Health Financing in Zambia
The 2012 national health policy is the overarching health policy framework in Zambia. The policy takes a human rights approach to health care provision, where all citizens are entitled to basic health care (Ministry of Health 2012). The policy is a...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Policy Note |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2019
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/475421559626961946/Health-Financing-in-Zambia http://hdl.handle.net/10986/31786 |
| Summary: | The 2012 national health policy is the
overarching health policy framework in Zambia. The policy
takes a human rights approach to health care provision,
where all citizens are entitled to basic health care
(Ministry of Health 2012). The policy is actualized through
successive five-year national health strategic plans.
Operationally, Zambia’s health system is centralized, with
delegated responsibilities from the center to lower levels
of the health care delivery system. The Ministry of Health
plays a dual role of policy formulation and strategic
planning and delivery of health services, with provincial
and district health offices being upwardly accountable to
the Ministry of Health headquarters. Going forward, Zambia
is in the process of launching two major reforms which will
further affect the organization of the health sector. These
are (a) implementation of the National Decentralization
Policy, and (b) introduction of a National Health Insurance
(NHI) scheme. The PHC function (including transfer of PHC
staff to local government authorities) is among the front
runner for decentralization. If national decentralization is
fully implemented, it will affect the way health services
are organized, delivered, and financed in the country. Thus,
adequate preparations in the health sector are required to
minimize challenges. Secondly, Zambia enacted the NHI Act in
April 2018 which provides the legal mandate to establish the
NHI management authority, and the NHI scheme. At the time of
this study, it was envisaged that implementation of the NHI
scheme will be done in a phased manner with a view of
covering the entire population in the medium to long term.
However, depending on the final design and implementation
process, the NHI will have a substantial effect on the
financing and delivery of health programs and services in
Zambia. One of the immediate challenges will be providing
insurance cover to the informal sector and indigent people
in rural areas. |
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