Innovative Financing of Health Promotion
INTERNATIONAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PUBLIC HEALTH, First Edition, Vol. 3, pp. 624-638, 2008
3 Pages Posted: 19 Dec 2009
Date Written: December 2008
Abstract
This paper synthesizes financing health care in general and health promotion in particular, and reviews experiences of innovative financing of health promotion in selected countries that have a specific dedicated tax for health promotion. The paper also draws on lessons from an in-depth case study in Thailand, a lower-middle income country, of the Thai Health Promotion Foundation which has been established since 2001, focusing on innovative financing and a multisectoral and multidisciplinary approach to health promotion. Results show that there is no innovative financing model for health promotion in low-income countries. The historical evolution of innovative financing for health promotion reveals a close link with existing strong tobacco control measures, especially in price increases and dedicated taxes for health promotion, as in Australia, the U.S., and Thailand. Another financing source is earmarking from social health insurance premiums which are quite limited in low-income countries. It is concluded that achieving success in effective financing of health promotion requires legislation to endorse a fund, and often an independent agency with greater flexibility in the organization and management of funding health promotion projects.
Keywords: health financing, health promotion, dedicated tax, earmarked tax
JEL Classification: I18
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation