The EU approved the first biosimilar drug in 2006. By 2017, the EU had authorized the highest number of biosimilars worldwide, acquiring considerable experience in their use and safety. In May 2019, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) search engine showed 54 authorized biosimilars. Biosimilars...

This article sheds light on the role of subnational governments in health systems across OECD countries. The views in this article show a move away from traditional measures of decentralisation, such as the share of subnational government expenditure of total expenditure, to measures capturing a...

This study aims to evaluate the effects of selected key factors on health outcomes. Unfortunately, statistical reporting in this field is not harmonized, and in some countries it is completely absent. For this reason, valuable information for health determinant analysis may be lacking or...

We study the interplay of non-pharmaceutical containment measures, human behavior, and the spread of COVID-19 in Switzerland. First, we collect sub-national data and construct indices that capture the stringency of containment measures at the cantonal level. Second, we use a vector...

Crude oil is one of the sources by which budgets are financed in OPEC countries. However, the fall in oil prices in 2014 put their governments' finances under significant pressure. Healthcare was one of the sectors experiencing fiscal strain. This study examined the effect of a fall in oil...

The OPEC countries rely on oil to fund their budgets, similar to many countries worldwide. However, the fall in oil prices in 2008 and 2014 put significant strain on their public finances, including healthcare finances. This study examines the effect of the fall in oil prices on OPEC countries'...

The OPEC governments mainly financed their budgets by relying on oil production, similar to many other governments globally. However, the world’s ongoing economic development, changes in countries’ political relationships, and exchange of sanctions could have adverse consequences for...

The performances of African countries particularly in West African Sub- region on global-human development indices had been abysmal over the years and have worsened in the face of COVID-19 pandemic. This is a source of concern to scholars. Expenditure on health and education are recognized by...

In order to improve transparency and stabilise health care costs, several countries have decided to reform their healthcare system on the basis of diagnosis-related groups (DRG). DRGs are not only used for classifying medical treatments, but also for case-based reimbursement, hence induce active...