Ghana is one of only several African countries to enact legislation and earmark financing for universal health insurance coverage for its entire population. Seven years into its implementation the Ghana National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has made significant progress in transitioning to universal coverage, but faces significant fiscal and coverage challenges. This study reviews Ghana's health financing system with a special emphasis on its National Health Insurance Scheme. Such an assessment is important because Ghana is often considered a global 'good practice' in terms of earmarking...

Ghana's demographic profile is changing, and demographic, epidemiological, and nutrition transitions are well underway. However, several of Ghana's health outcome performances, especially in terms of child health and maternal health, are worse than the levels found in other comparable lower middle income and health spending countries. The volume is timely, given the stage of the Ghana's development. It briefly discusses some of the debates in Ghana's health sector: decentralization and governance, private sector partnership, strengthening health systems, and health financing. It brings...

Gabon is an upper middle income country, with reasonable spending on health, however, its health outcomes resemble that of a country that is low / low-middle income. Where has Gabon gone wrong, and what are the challenges that Gabon is facing in improving health outcomes? Gabon is an emerging economy, while it has achieved high economic development it still has not achieved living standards and health outcomes seen in upper middle income countries. Gabon faces low life expectancy (63 years), levels as seen in other low income countries. It is in an early stage of an epidemiological...