How do you scale health insurance access across 13,000 islands? In this episode, host Alex Ergo speaks with Trisna Sari of BPJS Kesehatan about Mobile JKN — Indonesia’s digital gateway to its national health insurance scheme.

Trisna shares how the innovation was born out of a need to ease administrative bottlenecks as the JKN program rapidly expanded to cover over 98% of the population. She explains the challenges of rolling out a digital tool in a country with uneven digital literacy and infrastructure, and the design trade-offs faced when aiming for scale, simplicity, and inclusion.

Together, they explore how Mobile JKN is changing the way Indonesians engage with health financing and public services, and what lessons it offers for other countries seeking to digitize access to universal health coverage.

Host: Alex Ergo, Director of Health Systems, Population Services International

Guest: Trisna Sari, Primary Benefit Assurance Policy Lead, BPJS Kesehatan, Indonesia

For more information: HSS Insights Series

What does it really mean for a health system to be resilient? The term is widely used but often lacks clarity. In this episode, recorded live at the Prince Mahidol Award Conference (PMAC) in Bangkok, host Alex Ergo speaks with Professor David Bishai about the World Bank's new publication, "Strategic Investment for Health System Resilience."

Professor Bishai unpacks key insights from the book, including a three-layer framework for investing in resilience, the connection between essential public health functions and resilience-building, and how countries can strategically invest in strengthening their health systems—not just for future crises, but for everyday health system improvements.

Host: Alex Ergo, Director of Health Systems, Population Services International

Guest: Professor David Bishai, Professor of Health Economics and Health Systems, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

For more information:

HSS Insights Series: PSI - To access Population Service International's blogs and policy briefs, visit our health systems insights website.

The final episode from the Health Systems Research Symposium in Nagasaki turns the spotlight on climate change and its impact on health systems. We explore the steps countries are taking to adapt to climate challenges and the vital role communities play in building resilience.

Dr. Mehreen Mujtaba discusses Pakistan's progress in developing a Health National Adaptation Plan (HNAP), sharing the challenges of decentralisation and the importance of regional collaboration. Dr. Rawlance Ndejjo from Uganda highlights the critical contributions of communities, indigenous knowledge, and community health workers in adapting to climate shocks and fostering resilient health systems.

This episode offers valuable insights into climate-smart health policies and the collaborative actions needed to address global health and climate challenges.

Host: Alex Ergo, Director of Health Systems, Population Services International

Guests:

• Dr. Mehreen Mujtaba, Public Health Specialist, Pakistan
• Dr. Rawlance Ndejjo, Lecturer, Makerere University School of Public Health, Uganda

For more information:

HSS Insights Series: PSI - To access Population Service International's blogs and policy briefs, visit our health systems insights website.

Health Systems Pathways is an SCL Agency Production.