In Madagascar, community-based health insurance programs, known as mutuelles, are helping make health care more affordable for vulnerable populations. Through regular contributions, community members build a shared pool to cover health service costs when needed. Since 2023, LHSS has been supporting the Malagasy government in piloting this approach.

This brief discusses promising practices for working with government and non-government stakeholders to strengthen health planning and budgeting at the subnational level. The practices also highlight why and how to put subnational level actors at the forefront of any reforms to improve health outcomes through resource optimization.

The Ministry of Health and Social Services in Namibia, with support from LHSS, held a 3-day workshop to equip the media with skills for accurate, sensitive reporting on UHC. The training covered UHC's importance, health emergency reporting, and data interpretation.

Learn about our speakers for this session on "Achieving change in complex health systems: How to understand the effects of integrated interventions on health systems performance" at HSR 2024. 

LHSS aimed to enhance Kazakhstan's health system resilience, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Activity in Kazakhstan focuses on reducing financial barriers to healthcare and improving access to essential services for all citizens. The report outlines the Activity's strategic approach and highlights progress in performance indicators and lessons learned. 

Ce cours se concentre sur les processus utilisés par les pays pour définir les priorités en matière de santé qui se reflètent dans les politiques nationales de santé.

In a milestone decision, the Peruvian Congress has passed legislation that extends temporary health insurance coverage to migrants diagnosed with HIV and tuberculosis (TB). 

Key stakeholders in Jamaica convened for a two-day One Health workshop to enhance the country's ability to manage public health emergencies. Supported by the LHSS Jamaica Activity, this multisectoral event brought together health, agriculture, and environmental leaders to develop a coordinated response to emerging health threats. 

This Year 5 Quarter 2 Report (Jan-Mar 2024) was prepared for USAID and provides a progress update for all annual work plan activities. 

Through her leadership, Giselle Cardona, a 38-year-old nurse, helped Cartagena expand the number of health centers providing care for pregnant women from 9 to 45. As the Director of the El Pozón Subnetwork, Giselle worked tirelessly to improve the quality of maternal care and reduce risks associated with maternal mortality. Her collaboration with LHSS Colombia played a key role in strengthening health services for pregnant women, regardless of nationality. 

In this webinar, representatives from Tanzania and Timor-Leste, along with WHO and LHSS panelists, discussed strategies for strengthening subnational public financial management systems to align with health sector needs, enhance partnerships, and improve community resource efficiency.

The report highlights the key aspects and lessons learned in managing severe COVID-19 cases through a series of exchange workshops. These workshops, coordinated by the Deputy Management of Hospitals of the National Health Service and the Regional Health Directorates, aimed to facilitate cross-learning among hospitals that participated in the first two phases of training. The focus was on gathering evidence about the training process, assessing the applicability of various concepts and techniques, and providing recommendations for managing severe COVID-19 cases in intensive care units.

In view of the incorporation and standardization of community services at the level of the Comprehensive Care Services (SAI), LHSS in coordination with the National Health Service (SNS) worked to advise and evaluate the needs of human resources in health for the provision of quality services and coverage of the needs of patients both at the site level and at the community level for the implementation of a human resources plan.  To this end, the first step was to analyze the gap in quantitative and capacity terms to support at the central level with the development of provincial human resources plans to close gaps and deliver the portfolio of necessary services.

The provision of HIV care services in the Dominican Republic largely consists of service provision at clinical sites. Although some of these sites have incorporated community-based patient follow-up into their HIV service portfolio, the Government of the Dominican Republic (GoDR) has only recently incorporated community-based HIV services into the regulatory framework of the national HIV care program. In doing this, the GoDR aims to expand the delivery of community-based HIV services in a sustained and phased manner. Thus far, the new strategy has been implemented primarily in clinical sites supported by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), with the financial support of PEPFAR-funded care and treatment projects.

During its first and second year of implementation, the LHSS has supported GoDR to expand its plan for community-based HIV services nationwide. To that end, LHSS has worked with GoDR counterparts to review, develop, update, and implement a comprehensive policy framework— including national guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs)—that supports the provision of HIV care at both clinical sites and the community level.

The current Health System in the Dominican Republic is the result of significant reforms over the past two decades, guided by the Ten-Year Health Plan (2006-2015) and the National Development Strategy 2030. It integrates services from the Ministry of Public Health and the Dominican Social Security Institute into a unified network to ensure health and social security for all citizens, led by the Ministry of Health. This feasibility assessment focusses on the Family-Based HIV Service Model in the Dominican Republic. The model addresses the needs of families with HIV-positive members by integrating clinical care with economic, social, and legislative support. It emphasizes accessibility, reducing stigma, and considering the emotional and mental health impacts.