The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development covers 17 goals, the third of which is “good health and well-being”, namely: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being at all ages.  (Click here for details)

Under this major goal, there are 13 targets, the twelfth of which is “Substantially increase health financing and the recruitment, development, training and retention of the health workforce in developing countries, especially in least developed countries and small island developing States.”

● Current Situation

Health financing usually comes from five channels: national general tax, social security tax, profit or non-profit non-public medical insurance, self payment and foreign aid. A relatively sound health financing system mainly comes from general tax, social security tax, or both.

About the World

Tax and Social Insurance are Two Main Channels

Phote source: WHO website

When internationally discussing health financing, tax and social insurance are no longer two independent systems. Many countries have established comprehensive financing mechanisms. Countries whose health financing mainly comes from general tax revenue include Britain and Nordic countries, such as Sweden, Finland and Norway. Countries whose health financing mainly comes from social insurance include Germany, France, Belgium, etc. In developed countries, even Germany and France are gradually increasing the proportion of general tax in health financing. Many middle-income Latin American countries adopt mixed financing mechanisms.

Text source: Chinese Journal of Health Policy

About China

Public Health Financing Relies on Government

Phote source: wjw.cn

China’s public health service financing mainly relies on the government’s investment. The basic health service financing is through urban employees and residents’ basic medical insurance and new rural cooperative medical insurance. However, there are great differences in financing and security levels among regions, urban and rural areas, as well as the three financing methods.

Text source: Chinese Health Resource 

●  Cases

About the World

Canadian Health Financing 

In Canada, provincial governments undertake the main responsibility of health services, control the vast majority of medical resources, and are responsible for setting medical service prices and controlling medical expenses. A provincial government’s health department usually pays hospitals directly by annual budget allocation, part of which is paid to doctors in terms of projects.

Phote source:sina.com

The Canadian public health care system is financially supported by the federal government’s transfer payments to provincial governments. The federal government allocates medical and health funds to all provinces and autonomous regions through its special transfer payment system every year. The amount of subsidy is determined by the per capita medical expenses of the whole country, and has nothing to do with the actual expenditure of each province. The national per capita medical expenses are adjusted according to the GNP every year.

Text source: sohu.com

About China

Government’s Financial Support Ensures Community Health Service

Phote source:sohu.com

Scientific and reasonable financing structure is important for community health services development. In recent 10 years, the development of community health service in Futian District of Shenzhen Municipality has been highly valued and supported by local government. The government’s financial support ensures its development.

Text source: ixueshu.com

●  Background

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Initiated by the United Nations

On January 1, 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including 169 targets, of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at an historic UN Summit — officially came into force. Countries will mobilize efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind.