Resources

While health financing is only one of the core functions of a health system, it significantly influences both the extent to which the population can access health services, as well as the extent to which they face financial hardship in the process. Primarily qualitative in nature, but drawing extensively on quantitative indicators, the Health Financing Progress Matrix (HFPM)assesses a country’s health financing institutions, processes, policies and their implementation, against a set of benchmarks based on good practice. Benchmarks are defined in terms of nineteen desirable attributes, which crystallize evidence about what works in health financing in order to make progress to UHC. This paper outlines the background to, and design of HFPM , WHO’s standardized qualitative approach to assessing country health financing systems. It also details the processes which govern country level implementation of HFPM to ensure that assessments are objective and credible.. Through a forward-looking design, the HFPM not only assesses the current situation in a country, but also makes clear recommendations of priority directions for policy and implementation, both accelerating progress towards UHC, and helping to build resilience across the health systems. It is a useful resource for policy makers. Click here to read the guidance paper.