Outcomes-based financing: Possibility and promise in global health

Almost a decade on from the adoption of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), the world remains far off-track to meet many of the targets for SDG 3, which calls for nations to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all people. Exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the worsening climate crisis, there are numerous examples of progress stalled or, worse yet, increased incidence rates of deadly and disabling diseases and disorders around the globe. There is an urgent need to do more to save lives, but large financing gaps remain. Impact bonds, a form of outcomes-based financing, aim to increase the efficiency and effectiveness, as well as overall volume, of funding for social outcomes, potentially advancing progress toward SDG 3.  

On June 18, Global Economy and Development at Brookings hosted a conversation with stakeholders from around the globe who have been involved in outcomes-based financing in the health sector. Panelists shared both the challenges and successes they found in implementation, highlighting the promise outcomes-based financing may have in meeting the world’s health needs.  

Viewers submitted questions to the speakers by emailing [email protected] and via X/Twitter by using #obf4globalhealth.