This lecture will critically analyse how the South African health system currently performs relative to the goal of universal coverage. A key feature of the health system is its large private health insurance (PHI) sector. South Africa has the highest proportion of spending funded via PHI schemes in the world (accounting for 44% of total health care expenditure) – but PHI only covers 16% of the population. The result is a very skewed distribution of health care benefits across the country. Addressing the public-private mix is a key motivation for the proposed introduction of national health insurance (NHI). The lecture will explore the main elements of NHI, which will be largely tax funded, and highlight key challenges in pursuing this policy, particularly in the context of powerful private interests.

Professor McIntyre has over 20 years of professional experience in health economics and health policy issues. Founder and director of the University of Cape Town's Health Economics Unit for 13 years, she currently holds the South African Research Chair in Health and Wealth. She has served on numerous policy committees and has extensive research, technical support and capacity development experience, both within South Africa and in other parts of the African region. She currently serves on the Ministerial Advisory Committee on National Health Insurance in South Africa. Her research and technical support experience relates to health care financing; equitable resource allocation; public-private mix issues; health and health system equity; and, more recently, social determinants of health. She is also involved in a range of capacity development initiatives, including the Masters in Health Economics at the University of Cape Town – the only course of its kind in Anglophone Africa – and the university's PhD programme.

The lecture will be followed by a drinks reception.

This event is free and open but pre registration is required. To book a place please email lsehsc@lse.ac.uk

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