Title:	Health Policy and Financing (HP&F)
Keywords:	Financing Universal health coverage Health sector reform Health financing Health economics Health Policy
Country:	Netherlands
Institution:	The Netherlands - KIT Institute, Amsterdam
Course coordinator:	Eelco Jacobs
Date start:	2027-05-10
Date end:	2027-05-26
About duration and dates:	Duration of the course is 2.5 weeks full time learning. Application deadline is 2 months before the start date of the course. If space is available and no visa required, students can apply until 4 weeks prior to the first course day.
Classification:	advanced optional
Mode of delivery:	Face to face
Course location: KIT Institute PO Box 95001, 1090 HA Amsterdam The Netherlands Tel: +31-20-5688256 Website: www.kit.nl tropEd representative: L. Gerstel (l.gerstel@kit.nl)
ECTS credit points:	3 ECTS credits
SIT: 84h: 30 hours contact time, 54 hours self-study time, including work on the assignment.
Language:	English
Description: After this course students should be able to: ● Analyse how policies, governance, human rights frameworks, and financing structures influence policy development and implementation by public and private actors. ● Evaluate health financing options for resource mobilisation, pooling arrangements, benefit package design , and purchasing strategies, and assess their implications for Universal Health Coverage (UHC). ● Conduct a strategic policy review from a multi-stakeholder perspective and communicate evidence-informed findings and recommendations in a policy brief.
Assessment Procedures: Participants are required to complete a single summative assessment (100% of the final mark) consisting of an individual policy brief (2.000 words). KIT guidelines on AI use and Academic Integrity applies.In this brief, students must critically discuss policy options aimed at advancing UHC while strengthening health systems. Two plenary tutoring sessions are held where students can present their challenges and discuss potential ways of resolving these with their classmates and a facilitator. The paper is marked using a standardised assessment rubric/grid to ensure common grading criteria. Students receive detailed written feedback on their policy brief alongside their result within 15 working days. To further support learning, an online feedback session will be held after the release of grades to address general trends and questions. The pass mark is 6/10. Participants who did not obtain the pass mark are entitled to one resit, which will take place in, at least, 10 working days from the results (exact date to be agreed upon at the start of the course). The resit entails revising and resubmitting the original policy brief, per incorporating the feedback provided by examiners to meet the required standard. Mandatory presence of 90% of the practical sessions (related to the policy brief assignment, tutorial sessions and journal clubs) and a minimum mark of 6/10 in the assignment to get a certificate of completion.
Content: Progress towards Universal Health Coverage requires equitable and effective health policies, governance arrangements, and financing systems. But how are health policies developed and implemented? How do different actors influence policy processes? And how can health financing contribute to improved health outcomes, equity, and financial protection? This course critically examines current debates in health policy and financing. Participants explore health systems governance, policy processes, accountability, and the roles of governments, communities, development partners, and private actors at global, national, and local levels. The course also examines key health financing functions and policy choices, including resource mobilisation, risk pooling, health insurance, benefit package design, priority-setting, and strategic purchasing. Participants apply these perspectives by conducting a multi-stakeholder policy review and developing evidence-informed recommendations in the form of a policy brief focused on financing options for Universal Health Coverage in low- and middle-income contexts. ● Health Policy and Systems Research ● Health systems governance, policy processes and accountability ● Human rights and equity in health policy ● Approaches and methods for policy analysis and policy review ● Stakeholder analysis and multi-stakeholder perspectives in health policymaking ● Evidence-informed policy advice and policy brief development ● Principles of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and health economics ● Health financing for Universal Health Coverage ● Health insurance and risk pooling arrangement ● Health benefits package design and priority-setting ● Strategic purchasing for health systems performance and equity
Methods: ● Interactive lectures, flipped classrooms and webinars presenting and discussing foundational knowledge (24h). ● Journal Clubs (4h) for critical reading of scientific and policy papers using guided questions. ● Plenary tutorials (2h) as mandatory sessions for peer-feedback and pitching policy briefs. ● Self-study and writing of policy brief assignment (54 hours). In line with our social constructivist approach, the course leverages the diverse backgrounds and working experiences of participants, who are encouraged to engage in peer-to-peer learning to enhance their practical knowledge and professional competencies.
Prerequisites: ● Bachelor’s degree or equivalent academic training in either medicine or another field related to health care, such as health sciences, health economics, social sciences, or nursing ● A minimum of three years of health-related work experience in health systems, not limited to (organisation of) individual patient care ● If not a native English speaker English proficiency at the level of TOEFL 5.5 or IELTS 6.5 (certificate is not required) ● Computer and internet literacy; the participant should be able to use a computer access to Wi-Fi networks and working-level understanding of Microsoft Office software (e.g. Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Adobe (PDF). Students will be introduced to the e-learning platform.
Attendance: Minimum number of students: 10 Maximum number of students: 34 Maximum number of TropEd students: 5
Selection: If prerequisites are met, the selection will be on the “First come, first served” basis.
Fees: Fees for 2027 Regular course fee: €1.995,- tropEd fee: €1.795,- Early bird fee: €1.596,- (paid before: 10-02-2026)
Scholarships: There are no current specific scholarships for this course, for latest updates see; https://www.kit.nl/institute/study/scholarship-information/
Major changes since initial accreditation: Since the last accreditation the following changes were made: 1.The instruction for the policy brief assignment has changed: instead of 2000 (+10%), now the word count is max 2000; Executive summary and the conclusions & recommendations as well as the literature search are no longer included in the assignment. It remains a single assignment. 2. The learning objectives were sharpened and better aligned to exit competences, sharpening focus on UHC, health financing and policy analysis, updating the course contents based on new evidence, international agreements and developments. 3. Since a few years, the programme includes journal clubs that have replaced earlier class sessions. Students are required to read through scientific articles that they need to analyse with the help of guiding questions (for structured reading, comprehension, and reflections on own country situation). 4. In the QA and weekly wrap ups, the policy assignment is core focus. 5. Mandatory presence of 90% of the practical sessions (related to the policy brief assignment, tutorial sessions and journal clubs). 7. More self-study and tutorial time was allocated.
Student evaluation: Over the years, students have consistently evaluated both the content and the depth of coverage as very good. Many students initially feel stressed by the complexity of the assignment. In response, we have provided additional detail and structure for the assignment, introduced a dedicated session to explain it, and added an extra Q&A session to guide students through the writing process. To accommodate these additions, we have slightly reduced the contact hours for regular sessions. Areas requiring attention, as identified through student feedback regarding specific sessions or facilitators, are discussed with the relevant individuals as part of the module’s continuous improvement process.
Lessons learned: This advanced course brings together many concepts that participants are expected to have encountered previously in their core modules and/or through relevant professional experience. These concepts relate to the health systems, health management, health planning, and human resources for health modules. At the start of the module, many students feel anxious about the policy brief assignment, which they initially perceive as complex. We have therefore provided more structure to the assignment and clarified its objectives and expectations in greater detail. Following the classes and Q&A session, most students become more confident and are ultimately satisfied with the work they produce. A similar pattern is observed with the journal clubs. After the first reading, students often perceive the articles as difficult. However, the guiding questions and tutorial discussions help make the material more accessible. In the past, some students indicated that they would have appreciated an introduction to the structure of the articles before reading them, although identifying this structure independently was in fact one of the intended learning objectives of the journal clubs. This objective has therefore been clarified more explicitly. Strategic purchasing and priority-setting for benefit package design were not initially covered explicitly in the course. In recent years, however, dedicated learning units on these topics have been introduced. These additions help clarify important health financing functions that are often not well understood at first. Student assignments now demonstrate a stronger understanding of these concepts and their practical application.
tropEd accreditation: Accredited in Madrid May 2004, re-accredited in October 2011 and February 2016. Re-accredited Feb GA 2021, re-accredited in Cuernavaca, June 2024,Re-accredited in EC telco Sept 2026. Valid until Sept 2031.
Email Address:	courses@kit.nl
Date Of Record Creation:	2011-11-15 05:48:56 (W3C-DTF)
Date Of Record Release:	2011-11-15 07:24:34 (W3C-DTF)
Date Record Checked:	2021-03-18 (W3C-DTF)
Date Last Modified:	2026-10-14 09:14:18 (W3C-DTF)