The Health Systems and Policy Unit was established in August 2006. The Unit aims to contribute meaningfully to current and future healthcare financing debates in Southern Africa and beyond. The unit seeks to achieve this through high quality research, the creation and management of a data warehouse and constructive engagement with policymakers and industry stakeholders alike. Areas of focus include:

• Healthcare Charter Process
• Social Health Insurance (SHI) and Risk-Equalisation Fund (REF)
• Low Income Medical Schemes (LIMS)
• Basic Benefit Package
• Provider re-imbursement models
• Cost drivers in the health sector
• Planning and simulation models tracking the health system impact
• Implications of health sector public-private interactions.
• Challenges to obtaining universal coverage