The path to universal health coverage in five African and Asian countries: examining the association between insurance status and health-care use.

ABSTRACT: Despite major efforts to achieve universal health coverage (UHC), progress has lagged in many African and Asian countries. A key strategy pursued by many countries is the use of health insurance to increase access and affordability. However, evidence on insurance coverage and on the association between insurance and UHC is mixed. We analysed nationally representative cross-sectional data collected between 2022 and 2023 in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, India, and Laos. We described public and private insurance coverage by sociodemographic factors and used logistic regression to examine the associations between insurance status and seven health-care use outcomes. Health insurance coverage ranged from 25% in India to 100% in Laos. The share of private insurance ranged from 1% in Ethiopia to

SUBMITTER: Odipo E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10716621 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature