Health financing
Health Economics
Definition. Health financing is the function of a health system concerned with raising revenue, pooling funds and purchasing services in ways that support coverage, efficiency and financial protection.
Explanation
WHO argues that some functions, such as surveillance and regulation, are common goods for health that require dedicated public financing (World Health Organization, 2021). New approaches, such as co-financing between climate and health goals, seek to mobilise resources across sectors (Borghi et al., 2024).
Financing choices determine who is protected from out-of-pocket costs (Gorgodze et al., 2025).
Related concepts
Universal health coverage (UHC) Out-of-pocket expenditure Health insurance Pay for performance
Read on The Health Topics
- Financing Common Goods for Health
- Co-Financing for Health and Climate Goals
- Georgia’s Healthcare Costs and Household Impoverishment
References
Borghi, J., Cuevas, S., Anton, B., Iaia, D., Gasparri, G., Hanson, M. A., Soucat, A., Bustreo, F., & Langlois, E. V. (2024). Climate and health: a path to strategic co-financing? Health Policy and Planning, 39, i4–i18. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czae044
Gorgodze, T., Zoidze, A., Catalan, J. M., & Gotsadze, G. (2025). Financial protection and universal health coverage in Georgia: An analysis of impoverishing healthcare costs using household income and expenditure surveys. BMJ Global Health, 10 (e019150). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2025-019150
World Health Organization. (2021). Financing common goods for health. Geneva: World Health Organization.
Cite this entry: Kurutkan, M. N. (2026). Health financing. In The Health Topics glossary. https://healthtopic.org/glossary/health-financing/