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“Toward universal health coverage in Africa”

We call on all African health economists and health policy analysts, those working in Africa or on research of relevance to Africa to submit abstracts for the Second Conference of the African Health Economics and Policy Association (AfHEA), which will be held in Dakar, Senegal from 15th to 19th March 2011 (Note: these dates are provisional). The overall theme of this conference is “Toward universal health coverage in Africa”.  Universal coverage is understood to mean providing financial protection against health care costs for all, as well as ensuring access to quality health care for all when needed.

Abstracts are particularly encouraged for research related to the sub-themes of the conference:

Health care financing for universal financial protection in Africa, including issues around:

• user fee removal
• strategies for improved *domestic public* funding of health care (through general taxes and/or mandatory health insurance)
• strategies to extend financial protection coverage to those outside the formal employment sector
• reducing fragmentation across funding pools
• the role of global funding in achieving universal coverage

Promoting universal access to needed health services, including issues around:

• Purchasing of health services (benefit packages and provider payment mechanisms, including performance-based financing)
• Identifying and addressing health service access barriers

Strategies and tactics for key steps to move towards universal coverage, including issues around:

• Getting universal coverage onto the health policy agenda
• Ensuring the acceptability of policy proposals to different actors
• Managing key actors in implementing universal coverage policies

The above sub-themes are not exhaustive and individuals are encouraged to submit abstracts on interesting or topical research, especially on any aspect of the health system that could contribute to universal coverage.

Abstracts may be submitted in English or French and must be structured as follows:

• Title of paper
• Name, institutional affiliation and e-mail address of presenting author
• Names of co-authors
• 400 word maximum abstract which indicates the aim and objectives of the paper, the methods used and the key findings.

Abstracts must be submitted by 31 August 2010 to john.ataguba@uct.ac.za.

They will be reviewed by the AfHEA conference Scientific Committee, which includes representatives  from a wide range of African countries and is chaired by Prof. Di McIntyre of the Health Economics Unit, University of Cape Town.  Those submitting abstracts will be informed of the outcome by the end of October 2010.