Panel 128: Health Insurance in Africa: Experiences and Prospects

In the perception of many Africans the exposure to health risks, the lack of access to health care, and the inadequateness to cover the impact of health risks - often with fatal consequences - are a major cause of their poverty. To overcome some of these problems, health insurance has become booming business in many African countries in the last few decades, and is promoted by both governments and international donors. The health insurance schemes that are introduced show a wide organizational variety, ranging from (national) social health insurance schemes to so called community based health insurance schemes operating at regional or local level. The purpose of the panel is to discuss the experiences with health insurance in Africa up to now and the prospects for health insurance in Africa. Papers are welcomed which deal, among others, with one or more of the following themes:

- the introduction of the concept of (health) insurance in African societies and/or communities

- the role of health insurance in improving the health status of adults and children

- the effects or impact of health insurance on the poverty status of men, women and children

- issues of participation, inclusion and exclusion in health insurance

- the pros and cons of organizational forms of health insurance

- health insurance and access to health care

- health insurance and ‘modern’ and ‘traditional’ health care systems

- health insurance and its relation to and effects on other (usually older) forms of health risk coping