[EQ] Global public action in health and pharmaceutical policies: politics and policy priorities

Global public action in health and pharmaceutical policies: politics and policy priorities

 

IKD - Innovation, Knowledge and Development- Working Paper No. 45- February 2009

The Open University

Meri Koivusalo1 and Maureen Mackintosh2

1 Meri Koivusalo,National Inst. For Health and Welfare, Finland

2 Maureen Mackintosh, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes

 

Available online as PDF [48p.] at: http://www.open.ac.uk/ikd/documents/working-papers/ikd-working-paper-45.pdf

 

“…….This paper analyses and discusses global public action in the context of global health policies. It discusses how public action on pharmaceuticals has influenced on the one hand global health, and on the other the institutional basis of global health governance. It argues that while nongovernmental public action has been effective in terms of influencing agenda-setting in global policies, its role in influencing solutions to the problems has been more limited. In contrast to trade policies, more substantial changes have taken place within global health policies and global health governance.

 

Furthermore, some of the directions supported by global public action may not be conducive to the democratic accountability of global health governance, the wise use of public resources, health systems development, and longer term access to health care within developing countries.

 

The scope for nongovernmental public action is further challenged by the changing context and commercialisation of global public action itself, whereby calls for access to medicines can also be seen as a means of demand creation for new and more expensive medicines in developed countries too, with further articulation of requests for more public funds in support of innovation and clinical trials to tackle the issue of lack of research and development (R&D)…..”

 

 

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[EQ] Health Research Classification System (HRCS)

Health Research Classification System (HRCS)

Developed by UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC) Partners

Website http://www.hrcsonline.net/

“…The Health Research Classification System (HRCS) is a bespoke system for classifying the full spectrum of biomedical and health research - from basic to applied - across all areas of health and disease. It was developed by the UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC) Partners and it has been adopted by many UK health research funders….”

Downloads from this website

This website provides online access to all the codes and categories of the HRCS, but they can be downloaded in PDF format  and to a number of analysis tools for use with the HRCS.

Presentations: Workshop on Health Research Classification System 14th January 2009 in London
http://www.hrcsonline.net/hrcs/choices/show/workshop

REPORTS:

UK Health Research Analysis:  http://www.ukcrc.org/researchcoordination/healthresearchanalysis/ukanalysis.aspx

A bespoke Health Research Classification System (HRCS) was developed to allow meaningful comparisons to be made across the different funders’ research portfolios.

It includes:

·         A breakdown of spending on all types of health research (from basic to clinical) across all areas of health and disease

·         Details of the distribution of funding within individual areas of health and disease 

·         The geographical spread of health research investment across the UK.

From Donation to Innovation - UKCRC Analysis of Smaller and Medium Sized Charity Funding
URL: http://www.ukcrc.org/researchcoordination/healthresearchanalysis/charityanalysis.aspx

Medical research charities play an important role in funding health research in the UK. The UKCRC’s 2006 UK Health Research Analysis report included the government funders of health related research and the three largest medical research charities: the Wellcome Trust, Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation.

Website of UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC) Partners: http://www.ukcrc.org/

 

 

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[EQ] Universal Health Care 101: Lessons for the Eastern Caribbean and Beyond

Universal Health Care 101: Lessons for the Eastern Caribbean and Beyond

 

IMF International Monetary Fund
Working Paper No. 09/61:  March 2009
Tsounta, Evridiki

 

Available online as PDF [37p.] at: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2009/wp0961.pdf

 

“……Despite the increasing interest in universal health care, little is known about the optimal way to finance, design, and implement it. This paper attempts to fill this gap by providing some general policy recommendations on this important issue. While most of the paper addresses the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) countries, its policy implications are applicable to any country.

 

The paper finds that the best financing option is country-specific depending on a country's economic, cultural, institutional, demographic and epidemiological characteristics, as well as political economy considerations. However, taxation should be the primary financing source. It also concludes that an appropriate and realistic benefit package would need to be designed to ensure the system's financial viability.

 

Regarding the optimal way to implement universal health care, certain preconditions are needed, including sound public administration, a small informal economy, and a transparent health financing system that builds social consensus …”

 

Contents

I. Introduction

II. What are the Available Financing Options for Universal Health Care?

III. The Challenges of Population Aging and the Epidemiological Transition

IV. What Would Be the Optimal Tax: General Taxation Versus Mandatory Payroll/ Social Security Contributions?

V. Providing Universal Coverage: A Single Provider or Numerous Providers?

VI. Designing the Benefit Package

VII. Preconditions for Successfully Implementing Health Care Reforms

VIII. Conclusions

References

 

 

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[EQ] Measurement of integrated healthcare delivery: a systematic review of methods and future research directions

Measurement of integrated healthcare delivery:
a systematic review of methods and future research directions

 

Martin Strandberg-Larsen, PhD, MScPH, Unit of Health Services Research, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen,

Allan Krasnik, MD, MPH, PhD, Professor, Director of the MPH-programme, Unit of Health Services Research, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen,

International Journal of Integrated Care, 4 February 2009 - ISSN 1568-4156

 

Available online at : : http://www.ijic.org/?000411

Background: Integrated healthcare delivery is a policy goal of healthcare systems. There is no consensus on how to measure the concept, which makes it difficult to monitor progress.

Purpose: To identify the different types of methods used to measure integrated healthcare delivery with emphasis on structural, cultural and process aspects.

Methods: Medline/Pubmed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, WHOLIS, and conventional internet search engines were systematically searched for methods to measure integrated healthcare delivery (published – April 2008).

Results: Twenty-four published scientific papers and documents met the inclusion criteria. In the 24 references we identified 24 different measurement methods; however, 5 methods shared theoretical framework. The methods can be categorized according to type of data source: a) questionnaire survey data, b) automated register data, or c) mixed data sources. The variety of concepts measured reflects the significant conceptual diversity within the field, and most methods lack information regarding validity and reliability.

Conclusion: Several methods have been developed to measure integrated healthcare delivery; 24 methods are available and some are highly developed. The objective governs the method best used. Criteria for sound measures are suggested and further developments should be based on an explicit conceptual framework and focus on simplifying and validating existing methods.

 

Content:

Abstract

Keywords

Introduction

Methods of the systematic review

Results

Discussion

Conclusion

Acknowledgements

Short autobiographical notes

Reviewers

References

Figure and Tables

 

 

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[EQ] From Paris to Accra - Will Aid Become Effective Now?

From Paris to Accra - Will Aid Become Effective Now?

Development Outreach, February 2009
Development OUTREACH is a flagship magazine in the field of global knowledge for development

After Accra: Delivering on the Agenda for Action

Website: http://www1.worldbank.org/devoutreach/index.html

“……..Just after last September’s High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Accra, the Economist offered the stark assessment that, “the development aid business is a shambles.” Aid managers themselves, in both recipient and donor countries, agree that too many agencies finance too many projects, following different systems of accounting and multiple objectives, in uncoordinated efforts that often overtax developing-country ministries, which are already struggling with meagre resources, skills gaps and governance weaknesses. The outcome is that sought-after “development results”—often not clearly-defined at the outset—are disappointing to all concerned, deepening the scepticism that already surrounds development aid.

In Accra, donors and developing countries hammered out an agenda for action that aims to change this. They promised to “take bold steps to reform the way aid is given and spent,” focusing on country ownership of programs, more effective partnerships, achieving results and openly accounting for them.

So what are the prospects for these “bold steps”? In this issue of Development Outreach, we asked experts from diverse perspectives to consider specific examples of how issues raised in the Accra Agenda have surfaced in their experience. What is needed, we asked, for the Accra principles to become reality in practice?............”  Christopher Neal, Executive Editor

CONTENT:

After Accra: Delivering on the Agenda for Action
—Guest Editorial Jeffrey Gutman
What is needed to deliver on the Accra Agenda for Action (AAA), and what the international donors and the World Bank Group need to do.

 

Committing to Effective Aid: Why can't donors walk their talk? Eckhard Deutscher
Why has harmonization among donor-countries been elusive?
The article discusses attempts by the DAC of the OECD to get donors aligned and sustain the alignment.

 

The Struggle for Ownership of Assistance: Health and HIV/AIDS in Rwanda John Rwangombwa
Aid earmarking reflects donor priorities more than those of the recipient country.
Rwanda has sought to reform its health care system, while donor funding was focused on fighting HIV/AIDS.

 

AID REFORM: A TALE OF TWO DONORS

The U.S. and Germany each undertook a major effort to reform their respective development aid programs.
Their paths were different, but both programs incorporate principles present in the Accra Agenda for Action (AAA).
To what extent have these reform efforts succeeded?"

The Millennium Challenge Account: Making U.S. foreign assistance more effective?
Sheila Herrling and Steve Radelet

Germany Seeks Influence by Setting Example of Being a Multilateral Team Player on Aid Effectiveness
Hans Dembowski

 

Brazil as an Emerging Donor: Huge potential and growing pains   - Paulo Sotero
This article offers an examination of Brazil's experience as a new donor: its purposes, goals, and the effectiveness of its approach.

 

Partnering for Progress: A new approach to capacity development after Accra
Mark Nelson and Ajay Tejasvi
Much technical assistance aimed at building capacity has failed to deliver the results sought.
The article examines the causes and the possible solutions.

 

Aid Effectiveness and Governance: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Daniel Kaufmann
Good governance and political corruption should be considered when aid flows to governments.

 

Development Marketplace Helps Scale up Grassroots Innovation that Reduces Poverty
Elena Altieri and Christopher Neal
This article presents examples of grassroots aid projects and programs that deliver results, within the framework of the Development Marketplace.
It discusses the extent to which such community-based efforts can be replicated.

 

Promoting Aid Effectiveness from the Bottom Up with ICTs
Caroline Figuères, Denise Senmartin, Hilde Eugelink
The article offers examples of projects sponsored by IICD in Africa and Latin America that confirm the lasting impact of ICT on poverty alleviation.

 

Multi-Donor Trust Funds: Instruments of first choice for post-crisis situations?
Leonie Guder
MDTFs can enhance aid effectiveness by reducing transaction costs and by mitigating the high risk levels inherent in post-crisis situations.

 

 

 

 

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