Anderson, Ian2014-09-152014-09-152013-09https://hdl.handle.net/10986/20124Samoa currently faces two important public policy challenges in the health sector. One is to stem, and then reverse, the rapid rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The second challenge is to put the country on a health-financing path that is effective, efficient, and financially affordable and sustainable. The two challenges are interconnected. This discussion paper examines eight options to address these challenges. The eight options are the following: (1) increasing government expenditure via higher general taxation; (2) increasing government expenditure via deficit financing; (3) increasing the share of government expenditure to health; (4) increasing external and donor financing; (5) increasing specific taxes; (6) mobilizing additional nongovernment resources via insurance (including social health insurance, and community and private insurance); (7) increasing cost-recovery measures; and (8) increasing efficiency. The paper concludes that the chief opportunity arises from more efficient use of resources already in the health system that are not presently used to maximum effect. Improving technical and allocative efficiency of the existing system has the potential to make a large difference and is technically feasible.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOADDICTIONADMINISTRATIVE COSTSADOLESCENTSALCOHOL CONSUMPTIONALLOCATIONALLOCATION OF RESOURCESALLOCATIVE EFFICIENCYANNUAL REPORTANTENATAL CAREARTICLEBUDGET DOCUMENTSBUDGET OUTLOOKBURDEN OF DISEASECANCER PATIENTCANCER PATIENTSCAPITAL COSTSCARDIOVASCULAR DISEASESCENTRAL BANKCHILD HEALTHCHLAMYDIACLINICAL SERVICESCLINICSCOMMUNICABLE DISEASESCOST OF SERVICESCOST OF TREATMENTCOST RECOVERYCOST SHARINGCOST-EFFECTIVENESSCOST-RECOVERYCOSTS OF HEALTH CARECOUNSELINGCURATIVE HEALTH CAREDEATHSDEBTDEFICIT FINANCINGDENTAL CAREDETERMINANTS OF HEALTHDIABETESDIETSDISASTERSDOCTORSDONOR ASSISTANCEDONOR FINANCINGECONOMIC DOWNTURNSECONOMIC GROWTHECONOMIC SHOCKSECONOMIES OF SCALEEMPLOYMENTESSENTIAL DRUGSESSENTIAL HEALTH CAREEXCHANGE RATESEXTERNAL SHOCKSFAMILIESFAMILY PLANNINGFINANCE MINISTRYFINANCIAL BARRIERSFINANCIAL COSTFINANCIAL HEALTHFINANCIAL MANAGEMENTFINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMSFINANCIAL PROTECTIONFINANCIAL RESOURCESFINANCIAL RISKFINANCIAL RISK PROTECTIONFINANCIAL SECTORFINANCIAL STATEMENTSFINANCIAL YEARSFISCAL DEFICITFOOD SECURITYFOREIGN EXCHANGEFOREIGN LOANSGALLSTONESGENERAL TAXATIONGIRLS' EDUCATIONGOVERNMENT EXPENDITUREHEALTH BEHAVIORHEALTH CAREHEALTH CARE ACCESSHEALTH CARE EXPENDITUREHEALTH CARE PROVIDERSHEALTH CARE RESOURCESHEALTH CARE SYSTEMHEALTH CARE­SERVICE DELIVERYHEALTH EFFECTSHEALTH EXPENDITUREHEALTH EXPENDITURE PER CAPITAHEALTH EXPENDITURESHEALTH FACILITIESHEALTH FINANCINGHEALTH FUNDINGHEALTH INFORMATIONHEALTH INSURANCEHEALTH INTERVENTIONSHEALTH ORGANIZATIONHEALTH OUTCOMEHEALTH OUTCOMESHEALTH PLANHEALTH PROFESSIONALSHEALTH PROMOTIONHEALTH RESOURCESHEALTH SECTORHEALTH SERVICEHEALTH SERVICESHEALTH SPECIALISTHEALTH SPENDINGHEALTH STATUSHEALTH SYSTEMHEALTH SYSTEMSHEALTH WORKFORCEHEALTH-CAREHEALTH-CARE COSTSHEALTH-FINANCINGHEALTH-FINANCING SYSTEMHIGH BLOOD PRESSUREHOSPITAL ADMISSIONSHOSPITAL BUILDINGSHOSPITALSHOUSEHOLD INCOMEHUMAN DEVELOPMENTHUMAN RESOURCESHYGIENEHYPERTENSIONILLNESSIMMUNIZATIONINCOMEINCOME COUNTRIESINCOME DISTRIBUTIONINCOME GROUPSINCOME GROWTHINFANT MORTALITYINFANT MORTALITY RATEINFANTSINFECTIOUS DISEASESINFLATIONINFLUENZAINFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTSINJURIESINPATIENT CAREINSURANCELIFE EXPECTANCYLIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTHLIVING STANDARDSLOCAL CURRENCYLOW INCOMELOW-INCOME COUNTRIESMACROECONOMIC VARIABLESMARIJUANAMARKET FAILURESMEDICAL CAREMEDICAL SUPPLIESMEDICAL TREATMENTMEDICINESMEDIUM-TERM EXPENDITUREMEDIUM-TERM EXPENDITURE FRAMEWORKMENTAL HEALTHMIDWIFERYMINISTRY OF FINANCEMONETARY POLICIESMORTALITYNATIONAL BUDGETSNATIONAL HEALTHNATIONAL HEALTH SERVICENATIONAL HEALTH SERVICESNATURAL DISASTERSNURSESNURSINGNUTRITIONOBESITYOUTPUT LEVELSPALLIATIVE CAREPATIENTPATIENT TREATMENTPATIENTSPERFORMANCE FRAMEWORKPHARMACYPHYSICAL ACTIVITYPHYSICIANSPOCKET PAYMENTPOLIOPOSTNATAL CAREPRICE ELASTICITIESPRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCEPRIVATE INSURANCEPRIVATE PHARMACIESPRIVATE SECTORPROGRAMSPROVIDER PAYMENTPUBLIC EXPENDITUREPUBLIC EXPENDITURE ON HEALTHPUBLIC HEALTHPUBLIC HEALTH CAREPUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTIONSPUBLIC HEALTH SERVICESPUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEMPUBLIC PROVISIONPUBLIC SECTORQUALITY OF HEALTHQUALITY OF SERVICESREFORM AGENDAREHABILITATIONRISK FACTORSSANITATIONSCREENINGSECTOR POLICIESSEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONSSMOKINGSOCIAL DEVELOPMENTSOCIAL HEALTH INSURANCESTISSTRUCTURAL REFORMSSUICIDESURGERYTOTAL EXPENDITURETRADITIONAL HEALTH CARETREATMENTTUBERCULOSISUNCERTAINTYUNDER-FIVE MORTALITYVACCINATIONVACCINATIONSWOUNDS10.1596/20124