Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35790986›Full record

ReviewBMC health services research2022

Contributions and challenges of healthcare financing towards universal health coverage in Ethiopia: a narrative evidence synthesis.

Ayal Debie, Resham B Khatri, Yibeltal Assefa

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in BMC health services research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 40 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
40citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

40 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  13. Trend analysis and modelling of universal health coverage, Ethiopia.Bulletin of the World Health Organization · 2026
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  18. Digital pulse: Social media reaction to South Africa's National Health Insurance implementation.African journal of primary health care & family medicine · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Ayal DebieDepartment of Health Systems and Policy, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, University of Gondar, P.O. Box: 196, Gondar, Ethiopia. debieayal@gmail.com.
Resham B KhatriSchool of Public Health, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Yibeltal AssefaSchool of Public Health, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHigh burden of healthcare expenditure precludes the poor from access to quality healthcare services. In Ethiopia, a significant proportion of the population has faced financial catastrophe associated with the costs of healthcare services. The Ethiopian Government aims to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030; however, the Ethiopian health system is struggling with low healthcare funding and high out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure despite the implementation of several reforms in health care financing (HCF). This review aims to map the contributions, successes and challenges of HCF initiatives in Ethiopia.

methodsWe searched literature in three databases: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of science. Search terms were identified in broader three themes: health care financing, UHC and Ethiopia. We synthesised the findings using the health care financing framework: revenue generation, risk pooling and strategic purchasing.

resultsA total of 52 articles were included in the final review. Generating an additional income for health facilities, promoting cost-sharing, risk-sharing/ social solidarity for the non-predicted illness, providing special assistance mechanisms for those who cannot afford to pay, and purchasing healthcare services were the successes of Ethiopia's health financing. Ethiopia's HCF initiatives have significant contributions to healthcare infrastructures, medical supplies, diagnostic capacity, drugs, financial-risk protection, and healthcare services. However, poor access to equitable quality healthcare services was associated with low healthcare funding and high OOP payments.

conclusionEthiopia's health financing initiatives have various successes and contributions to revenue generation, risk pooling, and purchasing healthcare services towards UHC. Standardisation of benefit packages, ensuring beneficiaries equal access to care and introducing an accreditation system to maintain quality of care help to manage service disparities. A unified health insurance system that providing the same benefit packages for all, is the most efficient way to attain equitable access to health care.

Indexed as

Healthcare FinancingUniversal Health InsuranceEthiopiaHealth ExpendituresHumansInsurance, HealthContributionEthiopiaHealthcare financingSuccessesUniversal health coverage

Identifiers

PMID35790986
PMCPMC9254595

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.