This case study focuses on the development and implementation of prepayment insurance schemes for HIV/AIDS-related health care services in Rwanda. Based on an analysis of National Health Accounts, and developed by the Rwandan Government, the system was introduced to ensure that the growing numbers of rural poor had access to modern health care facilities. The study examines the proportion of health-related expenditures by government, donors and patients on the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, detailing the impact on households, and suggesting ways to decrease the financial burden of HIV on the seropositive poor. Issues of effectiveness, ethical soundness, relevance and equity within the HIV-positive population are also explored.
