P4H – Social Health Protection Network

Despite health service coverage improving worldwide prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, one third of the world’s population still lacks access to essential health services. Furthermore, 1 billion people – a number that is higher than ever before – spent more than 10 % of their household budget paying “out-of-their pocket” for health services, and half a billion people were pushed further into extreme poverty because of this type of spending on health.

Many countries that have engaged in health financing, social health protection and UHC reforms find themselves struggling with several issues: limited public financial resources for health, ineffective allocation of funds to different schemes and programmes, limited cross-sectoral collaboration, as well as lack of effective and transparent public financial management. The P4H Network provides a platform for its members to engage on these issues, learn from each other, and benefit from technical expertise, including in fragile settings.

Switzerland will continue engaging in the P4H Network at global level, as well as by providing coordinated support with other bilateral and multilateral partners in countries like Chad, Myanmar or Uzbekistan. In this phase, Switzerland will emphasize the anchoring of the Network within the three key institutions that host it, as well as the strategic focus on the link between social protection and health financing. 

Contribute to sustainable development and health for all in low- and middle-income countries by supporting them in their efforts to build robust health systems and achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

P4H focuses on the development of effective, equitable and sustainable health financing and social health protection mechanisms in order to provide quality health services according to people’s needs, protect people from health threats and financial hardship due to ill-health, and to unfold their economic and social potential.

Ultimate beneficiaries are populations in low- and middle-income countries; in particular those who do not have access to comprehensive quality health services they need and/or do not benefit from financial protection through health insurance or any other social health protection mechanism.

Direct beneficiaries are governments striving to build equitable and sustainable health financing and/or social health protection mechanisms.

Governments are able to build sustainable health financing mechanisms for resilient health systems and UHC.

To do so, the following outcomes are expected:

1. Strengthened national health financing capacities through coordinated technical advisory and other services provided by multi- and bilateral partners.
2. Reinforcing the social health protection aspect of P4H technical exchanges in country and globally, as well as its connection with social protection partnerships and the wider social determinants of health sector.
3. Fit-for purpose P4H network playing a lead catalytic role in countries and at global level. 

Expected results:  

1.1 The technical capacities of partner institutions to design UHC-related reforms have been improved.

1.2 Selected countries have benefited from technical and coordination support in the preparation of their UHC relevant legislation, including health financing for better access to services.

2.1 Technically support country operations and P4H member’s coordination at national level.

2.2 Foster and support technical exchanges on UHC and Universal Social Protection (USP) to address social determinants of health.

3.1 Complete roll-out of constituency based governance model.

3.2 Increased accountability of the network and its implementing bodies, including Coordination Desk (CD) and Country Focal Persons. 

Results from previous phases:  

• Network growth from 18 members (2020) to 21 currently, with two more looking to join before end of 2023
• 18 countries benefited from P4H Country Focal Persons (CFPs) (3 financed by SDC in Chad, Myanmar and Mozambique)
• As co-chair of the Steering Group (SG) in 2021, Switzerland played a key role in advancing P4H reform: new TORs, constituency-based governance structure, launch of M&E framework
• The P4H Coordination Team (CT) has been strengthened through the presence of an ILO expert co-funded by SDC and ILO
• Since P4H country-presence, 29 health sector or health financing strategies and 21 laws on healthcare have been passed, and 17 insurance schemes have been established or improved