Equity in the public social healthcare protection in Tanzania: does it matter on household healthcare financing? — Kitole 2023

Policies and programs that address healthcare disparities and promote equal access to care promote healthcare equity. Public social healthcare protection schemes are one. Tanzania, like many developing nations, struggles to achieve universal health coverage due to low health insurance coverage. This study examines Tanzanian household healthcare financing and equity in public social healthcare protection. The study stratified households by residence using secondary data from the National Bureau of Statistics' National Panel Survey 2020/21. (rural vs. urban). The logit regression model, ordered logit, and endogenous switching regression model provided counterfactual estimates without selection bias or endogeneity. Social health protection varied more between rural and urban households, increasing health outcomes disparities. Rural people are most vulnerable. Education, income, and direct healthcare costs also affect healthcare financing equity and household access to public social healthcare protection schemes. Developing countries must reduce healthcare costs to achieve equity in rural and urban healthcare. The study also recommends social health protection to eliminate household disparities and promote healthcare equality.

Kitole, F. A., Lihawa, R. M., & Mkuna, E. (2023). Equity in the public social healthcare protection in Tanzania: does it matter on household healthcare financing? International Journal for Equity in Health, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-023-01855-0