Strengthening health financing in complex humanitarian contexts: analysis from Northwest Syria and its implications for other disrupted contexts

This presentation describes a diagnostic of health financing arrangements in Northwest Syria using the framework of the WHO Health Financing Progress Matrix (HFPM). The presentation highlights specific financing bottlenecks, especially around coordination across the multiple actors, and proposes interventions to support sustainable health financing and system recovery. While specific, these challenges reflect features that are commonly found in other disrupted settings, so better understanding of their nature and how to address them is important for moving ahead with UHC globally. Suggested adaptations of the HFPM for complex emergency and disputed settings is also a contribution to the development of this important normative and measurement tool.

This flash presentation was given by Professor Sophie Witter at the International Health Economics Association Congress (IHEA) conference in July 2025.

Further information

More on this study – Strengthening health system financing in complex humanitarian contexts: An exploratory analysis from Northwest Syria