Abstract:
Since the 1980s many developing nations have undertaken health reforms aimed at addressing the inequalities in health care delivery. The central feature of all these reforms has been the implementation of National Health Insurance Schemes (NHIS). Several studies carried out to review these reforms point out that although they have helped to minimise some of the difficulties citizens previously encountered in accessing proper healthcare, equitable healthcare delivery continues to elude many developing countries (Bermann 2000). Given the widespread use of traditional and complementary medicines (TM/CM) in many of these countries and the world at large, it seems ironic that most of the implemented NHI schemes do not cover the services of traditional and complementary medicine practitioners (TM/CMPs). Even in the few exceptional cases where TMs and CMs are covered, the schemes are biased towards those with the ability to pay. This paper provides an overview of the experiences of Chile, Colombia, China, Ghana, Hungary, Poland and Zambia and highlights lessons that can be drawn to help particularly African nations considering an NHIS to design a system that is fair, effective and reflects the healthcare practices of the people.