Office of the Assistant Director
Health Systems Strengthening Area
Health Policies and Systems Development Unit

Health for All: Can it Be Financed?
Fiscal Space and the Financing of Universal Health Care Systems: Issues and Policies

November 29-30, 2007
Washington, D.C., USA

RELATED WORKSHOPS:

Health, Human Capital and Economic Growth (HEG):

IADB / PAHO - Senior Policy Seminar Health, Human Capital and Economic Growth: Theory, Evidence and Policies
October 3-4, 2002
Washington DC., USA

Workshop on Health, Human Capital and Economic Growth: Case Studies
June 4-6, 2003
Washington, DC., USA

Harmonization Workshops of Health and Social Protection Accounts

Taller sobre Armonización de Cuentas de Salud y Protección Social - Sistema de Cuentas Nacionales. Países del MERCOSUR
Nov. 7-8, 2005
Montevideo, Uruguay

Taller sobre Armonización de Cuentas de Salud y Protección Social - Sistema de Cuentas Nacionales. Comunidad Andina:
Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Perú y Venezuela
Mayo 27-28, 2004
Quito, Ecuador

Taller sobre Armonización de Cuentas de Salud y Protección Social - Sistema de Cuentas Nacionales: Centro América, Panamá y Republica Dominicana
Nov. 24-25, 2003
San José, Costa Rica

Workshops on Health Sector Satellite Accounts

Consulta Técnica Regional: Armonización de las Cuentas de Salud y el Sistema de Cuentas Nacionales en Países de las Américas
Julio 21-22, 2005
Santo Domingo, República Dominicana

Primer "Taller sobre las Cuentas Satélites de la Salud en las Américas"
Mayo 30-31, 2005
Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Workshops on Household Sector Satellite Accounts: Gender and Health: Measurement of th women's unpaid contribution to health and economic growth

Taller Internacional sobre Cuentas Satélite del Sector Hogares - Midiendo las Contribuciones no-remuneradas de las Mujeres a la Salud y el Desarrollo Económico de los Países
Junio 5-6, 2006
Santiago, Chile

PAHO's Work on Health Accounts/National Health Accounts

Primera Reunión de Unidades/Departamentos de Economía de la Salud de Instituciones Públicas de Salud de Países de América Latina y el Caribe
Octubre 30, 2006
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Background

Recent studies on the fiscal burden in developing countries suggest that some countries of the Latin America and the Caribbean fall short of their revenue potential. Administrative inefficiencies in revenue collection, fiscal evasion, and fiscal elusion and corruption may account for the poor performance of the fiscal systems.

Throughout the Region of the Americas, the development of national health care systems providing universal access to health care services was a major thrust of health sector reform initiatives, and it is the main objective of proposed changes to the way national health care systems are financed. Universal access to health care services is the main thrust of proposed health financing initiatives based on developing comprehensive national social health insurance schemes, decentralizing health care systems, or developing unified national (public) health cares systems. However, few such policy reform proposals have explored in depth the fiscal implications of ensuring the feasibility and sustainability of expanding coverage or of achieving universal health care systems.

Objectives

The main objectives of the Regional Workshop were to present and discuss the fiscal issues involved in connection with the feasibility and sustainability of financing universal health care systems in countries of the Region of the Americas. Experts on the organization and financing of national health care systems and in the area of public finance and fiscal policies presented and discussed the fiscal implications of building and sustaining national health care systems providing universal access to health care services.

Venue of the Workshop

Languages

English and Spanish (Simultaneous translation)

Agenda and Background Materials

(PAHO website, search Keyword: FINFISC)

Activity Coordinators

Eduardo Lora
Principal Advisor
Research Department, Office of the Chief Economist
Inter-American Development Bank - BID
1300 New York Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20577
Tel: (202) 623-1271
Email: EDUARDOL@iadb.org
Web site: www.iadb.org

Rubén M. Suárez
Regional Advisor on Health Economics and Financing
Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO)
525 Twenty-Third Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C., 20037-2895 - USA
Tel: (+1 202) 974-3482
Fax: (+1 202) 974-3612
E-mail: suarezru@paho.org

Logistic and Administrative Support

María Helena Melasecca
Events Coordinator
Research Department
Inter-American Development Bank - BID
Tel: (+1 202) 623-2722
Web site: www.iadb.org/res/events

Nora Morgan
Administrative Assistant
Pan American Health Organization - PAHO
525 23rd St., NW
Washington DC. 20037
Tel. (+1 202) 974 3115
Email: morganor@paho.org