The Greek Herald (16.06.2025) Starting June 16, Greece has become the first country in Europe to provide free home delivery of high-cost medications through its national health insurance agency, EOPYY. The program is expected to support around 139,000 patients, including those undergoing cancer treatment and individuals with chronic illnesses who depend on EOPYY pharmacies for their medications. EOPYY President Theano Karpodini hailed the initiative as a landmark in public healthcare.

ilo.org (24.06.2025) The demographic changes currently underway in the Europe and Central Asia region - most notably, the ageing of its populations - have prompted the preparation of this new publication intended to inform tripartite discussions on developing effective strategies and policy responses. The publication provides projections of the region’s labour force evolution through to 2050, alongside an analysis of the challenges posed by these demographic shifts.

theedgemalaysia.com (17.06.2025) The Social Security Organisation (Socso), also known as Perkeso, aims to introduce mandatory contributions for gig economy workers starting January 2026. This initiative is part of broader efforts to extend social protection to Malaysia's expanding informal workforce which, according to official data, constitutes over 25% of the country’s workforce.

worldbank.org (17.06.2025) Almost every country in the world today is facing a predictable, but addressable, trend that will profoundly impact societies and economies: Aging. Despite numerous calls  to action, the aging agenda remains under the radar, especially when compared to other “mega trends” like climate change and digital transformation. 

OECD (16.06.2025) As populations age, the demand for long-term care (LTC), encompassing a range of personal care and assistance services, is steadily increasing across OECD countries. Care needs assessments and eligibility criteria determine who is entitled to access publicly funded LTC services, and thereby have a direct impact on public expenditures.

mppn (25.03.2025) Countries around the globe have started establishing social protection systems, aiming to implement policies and programmes to reduce poverty. At the same time, the number of countries designing and computing multidimensional poverty measures has increased in recent years, with more than 40 countries in the five world regions having official multidimensional poverty measures and others working on designing their own national Multidimensional Poverty Indices (MPI).

gulfbusiness.com (13.06.2025) The UAE has officially implemented its Basic Health Insurance Plan for private sector employees and domestic workers across the Northern Emirates, marking a pivotal shift in the nation’s approach to healthcare access and affordability. Effective since January 1, 2025, the initiative is part of a broader nationwide strategy to ensure that all residents, regardless of income or employment type, have access to essential healthcare services.

ntuc.org.sg (06.06.2025) A young Grab driver preparing for marriage experiences how Singapore’s groundbreaking Platform Workers Act is transforming financial security for thousands of platform workers through CPF contributions, work injury protection, and formal representation.

worldbank.org (29.05.2025) Pension systems globally have faced challenges in fulfilling their commitment to providing adequate financial security for individuals in their old age. In developing countries, pension coverage is often low, and benefits frequently fall below the poverty line. The design of the pensions systems, among other factors, tend to exacerbate informality, with only a fraction of formal workers receiving pensions. The low coverage and the little redistribution leads low wage workers to end up subsidizing high wage workers.

International Journal of Social Welfare (05.01.2025) This article provides an overview of social protection challenges in sub-Saharan Africa. It explores three main challenges: the integration of informal workers, the management of climate change and pandemics. Despite the proliferation of social protection programmes in sub-Saharan Africa, effective coverage remains low. About 76.3% of the population is not covered by any formal social protection mechanisms. Following the principle of qualitative comparative analysis, this article offers a twofold contribution.