What is Social Protection?

Social health insurance

“Social Health Insurance (SHI) is a form of financing and managing health care based on risk pooling. SHI pools both the health risks of the people on one hand, and the contributions of individuals, households, enterprises, and the government on the other. Thus, it protects people against financial and health burden and is a relatively fair method of financing health care. Desirable though it is, not many least-developed and low-middle-income countries have succeeded in adequately expanding coverage of SHI.”

Source: World Health Organization. 2003. “Social Health Insurance: Report of a Regional Expert Group Meeting”. World Health Organization. New Delhi, India. <https://apps.searo.who.int/PDS_DOCS/B3457.pdf>. Accessed 22 April 2020.