Strengthening the health financing response to COVID-19 in Europe, 22 April 2020 (produced by WHO/Europe)

This short paper sets out the key health financing actions countries in Europe can take to reduce the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as part of a broader health system response. It focuses on three policy objectives – removing financial barriers to access, mobilizing additional public funds for health and giving health service providers flexibility to respond – and illustrates them using country examples from the COVID-19 Health System Response Monitor. The primary aim of the paper is to support health financing responses to COVID-19 in countries that rely heavily on out-of-pocket payments, but the paper’s recommendations are relevant to all countries in Europe.