{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T14:17:34Z","timestamp":1785421054073,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"Cambridge University Press (CUP)","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,16]],"date-time":"2026-07-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1784160000000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["cambridge.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["HEPL"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Inadequate or ineffective health financing poses a significant challenge to the Government of Lao People\u2019s Democratic Republic\u2019s goal of achieving universal health coverage by 2030. Here we explore possible application in the Lao context of the Center for Global Development\u2019s New Compact approach, including locally-led evidence-informed prioritisation, domestic financing and consolidated supplementary aid. Using WHO\u2019s political economy analysis guide we identify opportunities and barriers and propose a road map towards implementation of the New Compact. This includes firstly, increasing local capacity and systems to generate and use evidence in policy and resource allocation decisions, starting with specific use cases related to the Essential Services Health Package and vaccines portfolio. Secondly, shifting available domestic resources to highest priority services, including at the primary health care level, based on deeper understanding of existing funding and where efficiency, cost-effectiveness and equity can be optimised. Thirdly, improving government and donor coordination aligned to national priorities and gradually increasing funds pooling as feasible.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1017\/s1744133126100620","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,16]],"date-time":"2026-07-16T10:46:29Z","timestamp":1784198789000},"page":"1-14","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/policypage","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Towards a new compact for health financing in Lao People\u2019s Democratic Republic"],"prefix":"10.1017","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-0717-262X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Praveena","family":"Gunaratnam","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/013mr5k03","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Clinton Health Access Initiative"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sengchanh","family":"Kounnavong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Elizabeth A.","family":"Ashley","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit"},{"name":"Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Manilung","family":"Nalongsack","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tom","family":"Drake","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Wellcome Trust"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bounserth","family":"Keopasith","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Planning and Finance"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mayfong","family":"Mayxay","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit"},{"name":"University of Oxford Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health"},{"name":"Unit for Health Evidence and Policy"},{"name":"National University Singapore Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"56","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"S1744133126100620_ref40","volume-title":"Institutionalizing Health Technology Assessment Mechanisms: A How to Guide","year":"2021"},{"key":"S1744133126100620_ref36","unstructured":"World Bank (2024b) Lao PDR Economic Monitor Reforms for Stability and Growth: Key Findings. 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Center for Global Development."},{"key":"S1744133126100620_ref21","article-title":"A new compact for financing health services: Opportunities for Gavi and partner countries","volume":"338","author":"Morton","year":"2024","journal-title":"Center for Global Development Policy Paper"},{"key":"S1744133126100620_ref19","volume-title":"Revision of Reimbursement Rates and Co-Payment Policies for People Who Are Required to Pay When Accessing Health Care Services at Different Levels of Health Facilities In","year":"2024"},{"key":"S1744133126100620_ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1596\/32505"},{"key":"S1744133126100620_ref41","volume-title":"Human Resources for Health Development Strategy by 2030","year":"2023"},{"key":"S1744133126100620_ref2","first-page":"724","article-title":"Cost-effectiveness of population level and individual level interventions to combat non-communicable disease in Eastern Sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia: A WHO-CHOICE analysis","volume":"10","author":"Bertram","year":"2021","journal-title":"International Journal of Health Policy and Management"},{"key":"S1744133126100620_ref17","volume-title":"National Health Insurance Strategy 2021\u20132025","year":"2022"},{"key":"S1744133126100620_ref20","volume-title":"Health Sector Development Plan 2016\u20132030(Draft)","year":"2025"},{"key":"S1744133126100620_ref8","unstructured":"Government of the Lao P.D.R. (2024a) Decree No. 094 on Lao health sector law. Vientiane, Lao PDR."},{"key":"S1744133126100620_ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/heapol\/czz077"},{"key":"S1744133126100620_ref32","unstructured":"Bank, W (2018) Public Financial Management in the Health Sector in Lao People\u2019s Democratic Republic: Service Delivery Challenges and Opportunities. Vientiane, Lao PDR. 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Published by Cambridge University Press","name":"copyright","label":"Copyright","group":{"name":"copyright_and_licensing","label":"Copyright and Licensing"}},{"value":"This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.","name":"license","label":"License","group":{"name":"copyright_and_licensing","label":"Copyright and Licensing"}},{"value":"This content has been made available to all.","name":"free","label":"Free to read"}]}}