Public Health Financing Strategies in Low-Resource Countries

Faculty of Science and Technology Kampala International University Uganda

ABSTRACT

Public health financing in low-resource countries has undergone significant transformation over the past three decades, shaped by globalization, market liberalization, technological change, and shifting international development priorities. While many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) adopted market-oriented reforms that prioritized supply-side financing, cost recovery, and user fees, global health partners simultaneously intensified support for primary health care and universal health coverage (UHC). Despite these efforts, health systems in low-resource settings continue to face chronic underfunding, weak governance, inequitable access, and structural reliance on donor funding. This paper examines the evolution, challenges, and performance of major health financing strategies, including general government health expenditures, innovative financing mechanisms, international aid, philanthropy, community-based models, and social health insurance. It highlights persistent inefficiencies in resource allocation, limited risk pooling, and the difficulty of extending financial protection to informal-sector populations. The analysis further explores governance reforms such as separating financing from service delivery, strengthening procurement and price negotiation, improving health information systems, and implementing anti-corruption frameworks. Case examples from sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Small Island Developing States demonstrate how context-specific strategies influence progress toward UHC. Finally, the paper outlines policy options for advancing sustainable and equitable health financing, emphasizing resilience, climate-responsive financing, and pandemic preparedness. Achieving UHC in low-resource countries requires not only increased revenue generation but also stronger institutions, transparent governance, and strategic investment in health system resilience.

Keywords: Public health financing, Universal health coverage (UHC), Low-resource countries, Health systems governance, and Risk pooling and equity

CITE AS: Mugisha Emmanuel K. (2026). Public Health Financing Strategies in Low-Resource Countries. IDOSR JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL SCIENCES 12(1): 59-68. https://doi.org/10.59298/IDOSR/JES/06/1215968