HealthBridge is an exploratory programme that looks at how diaspora remittances can be transformed from reactive, emergency support into predictable, pooled health protection through insurance.

In Africa, falling sick can often bring a heightened risk of falling into poverty or setting back hard-earned livelihood gains, often built over generations. Access to health coverage is an elusive goal with plenty of barriers.

The IDF and The ONE Campaign, working along with The Brookings Institution, are exploring what improving access to health protection means, rethinking how health is financed, and who can be part of the solution.

Today, remittances already act as a form of informal insurance for millions of families, but they are typically reactive and can be quickly exhausted when needs scale up, or multiple shocks occur simultaneously. HealthBridge aims to shift this model towards pre-arranged, structured protection, helping families access care earlier while strengthening health system resilience.

By bringing together insurers, governments, remittance providers and development partners, the initiative is working on how to:

• Develop affordable, user-centred health insurance products
• Address cross-border regulatory barriers
• Build the partnerships needed to scale solutions sustainably

At a time when development finance is under pressure, unlocking new approaches like this will be critical. Remittances already exceed traditional aid flows in many contexts — but their full potential to support health systems remains underutilised.

Explore the Brookings analysis by Ekhosuehi Iyahen and Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, ONE Campaign CEO.

Read the World Health Day 2026 blog on by Ekhosuehi Iyahen and Pedro Pinheiro, on how to formalise solidarity in health financing across Africa.