Health Equity: 2011

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

[EQ] IDRC Recruitment: Senior rogram Specialist - Governance for Equity in Health Systems

*From:* IDRC
*Sent:* December 1, 2011 10:41 AM
*Subject:* Recruitment: Senior HSS Specialist at IDRC****

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http://bit.ly/rBZMc7
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*Senior Program Specialist - Governance for Equity in Health Systems*****

Position #:****

*326*****

Location:****

*Ottawa, Canada*****

Salary Range (CAD):****

*$90,330 - $112,912*****

Duration:****

*Indeterminate*****

Closing Date:****

*09/01/12*****
------------------------------

*Description*****

*Job Overview *****

****

The Governance for Equity in Health Systems Program support research in
developing countries to strengthen their health systems and improve health
outcomes. Our program includes research on equitable health financing,
policies and innovations for improved health services delivery, health
information systems, and addressing access and governance challenges across
a number of regions.****

****

As the Senior Program Specialist, a key member of our multi-disciplinary
team, you will identify critical research issues; assist in developing the
research strategy; and take the lead in developing, managing, monitoring
and evaluating a portfolio of research projects. In particular, you will be
involved with our portfolio on health policy and systems with a strong
emphasis on governance and equity to develop programs related to health
information systems and primary health care focussing on Latin America and
the Caribbean.****

****

*Candidate Profile*****

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*Education *****

   - PhD, or a Masters with equivalent work experience, and a record of
   research in a relevant health or social science discipline such as
   epidemiology, public health, health informatics, health economics,
   political science or public policy****

*Experience*****

This position requires eight years of relevant health systems,
epidemiology, and health information systems experience, which includes:****

   - conducting, managing, evaluating research projects in Latin America
   and the Caribbean****
   - linking research results to practice and policy****
   - establishing and building partnerships****
   - capacity building such as teaching, mentoring and supervising****

*Note: Candidates with less experience may be considered for appointment at
the level of Senior Program Officer ($84,940 - $102,337)*****

****

*Language*****

   - English is essential at an advanced level****
   - Spanish is essential****
   - Capacity to work in Portuguese is an asset****

*Knowledge*****

   - Knowledge of global public health arena and donor landscape****
   - Knowledge of health and social policy issues in Latin America and the
   Caribbean****
   - Understanding of technical expertise in the area of health policy and
   health systems research and challenges****

*Competencies*****

   - Excellent leadership, interpersonal and communication skills (orally
   and in writing)****
   - Superior planning, organizing and negotiation skills****
   - Strong analytical and problem-solving skills****
   - Innovative and flexible team player****
   - Ability to understand others and adapt to diversified audiences****
   - Ability to manage complex and diverse projects from a distance****
   - Ability to provide advice and guidance to stakeholders and senior
   management****

*Additional Information*****

This position requires a willingness to travel internationally, an average
of 60-90 days per year.****

For more information regarding primary duties or responsibilities, view Job
Details<http://publicwebsite.idrc.ca/EN/AboutUs/Careers/JobPostings/Pages/Senior-Program-Specialist.aspx>
.****

http://tbe.taleo.net/NA9/ats/careers/searchResults.jsp?org=IDRC&cws=1****

*How to Apply*****

****

Please provide a cover letter along with your CV, setting out precise
examples of how your experience, qualifications, and skills match those
required for this position.****

   - Click the button « Apply for this Position »;****
   - Complete the electronic application form; and****
   - Within this form attached your Cover Letter and CV.****

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Saturday, December 3, 2011

[EQ] Macro-Economic Commission on Health, Social Determinants and Health as a Right

Macro-Economic Commission on Health, Social Determinants and Health as a Right

The Commission on Macroeconomics and Health: 10 years on

Pamela Das,Udani Samarasekera

The Lancet, Volume 378, Issue 9807, 3 December 2011

Available online at: http://bit.ly/uKDqA7

“......Reflecting on how health should position itself, in a very different world 10 years on, he adds: “10 years ago the CMH had its impact by showing how better outcomes could drive and protect economic growth.
Today, the situation is very different. No-one believes that more investment in health is going to help solve the banking or sovereign debt crises, stabilise food prices or redress the inequities of globalisation. At the same time, peoples health remains vitally important as a measure of the success of policies in all these areas.............”

The Commission on Macroeconomics and Health: was it the right recipe?

Ronald Labonté, Arne Ruckert at: http://bit.ly/tKhaHj

Africa's health and the Commission on Macroeconomics and Health

Donald Kaberuka at: http://bit.ly/tXoAi5

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information Related to: Equity; Health inequality; Socioeconomic inequality in health; Socioeconomic
health differentials; Gender; Violence; Poverty; Health Economics; Health Legislation; Ethnicity; Ethics;
Information Technology - Virtual libraries; Research & Science issues. [DD/ KMC Area]
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Health Organization PAHO/WHO or its country members”.
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[EQ] Governing public hospitals. Reform strategies and the movement towards institutional autonomy

Governing public hospitals.
Reform strategies and the movement towards institutional autonomy

Edited by Richard B. Saltman, Antonio Durán and Hans F.W. Dubois
Observatory Studies Series No. 25, 2011
World Health Organization 2011, on behalf of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies

Available in English (PDF), 1.1 MB [278p.] at http://bit.ly/ugF5wi

“…..Governance of public hospitals in Europe is changing. Individual hospitals have been given varying degrees of semi-autonomy within the public sector and empowered to make key strategic, financial, and clinical decisions themselves. This study explores the major developments and their implications for national and European health policy.

The study focuses on hospital-level decision-making and draws together both theoretical and practical evidence. It includes an in-depth assessment of eight different country models of semi-autonomy, in the Czech Republic, England, Estonia, Israel, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Spain.

The evidence that emerges throws light on the shifting relationships between public-sector decision-making and hospital-level organizational behaviour and will be of real and practical value to those working with this increasingly important and complex mix of approaches.

Content:

Introduction: innovative governance strategies in European public hospitals

PART I Hospital governance in Europe

Chapter 1 The evolving role of hospitals and recent concepts of public sector governance

Chapter 2 A framework for assessing hospital governance

Chapter 3 Mapping new governance models for public hospitals

Chapter 4 Conclusions and remaining issues

PART II Hospital governance in eight countries
Chapter 5 Czech Republic
Chapter 6 England
Chapter 7 Estonia
Chapter 8 Israel
Chapter 9 Netherlands
Chapter 10 Norway
Chapter 11 Portugal
Chapter 12 Spain

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[EQ] Eliminating Health Inequities: Every Woman and Every Child Counts

Eliminating Health Inequities: Every Woman and Every Child Counts

Women and children neglected in drive for equitable health for all

New report from the Red Cross and The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health calls for barriers to health services to be removed.

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and
The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH), November 2011

Website: http://bit.ly/sONyZt

PDF [44p.] English at: http://bit.ly/tQuFXP

“……The report paints a stark picture of global health inequities and focuses on women and children not only because many suffer undue hardship, but also because women are instrumental in improving the health of their children, families and communities.

The report contains a set of concrete recommendations for action by different stakeholders, including government, donors and civil society, to improve access to quality care and health information, and greater gender equality. The recommendations take a holistic approach, linking health inequities to poverty, gender bias, and human rights violations, which are in turn impact on education, transport, health, agriculture and overall well-being.

Success stories of social and political action in 10 countries around the world, including Egypt, Bangladesh, Malawi, Ecuador, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Austria, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and Eritrea, are also highlighted….”

Content:

Introduction

Chapter 1. Focusing on women and children is a good place to start

The unique needs of women and children

Social inequities compound biological differences, exacerbating vulnerabilities

Double the risk and double the neglect: HIV and women who use drugs

Chapter 2. The time to act is now

Progress in reaching MDGs disguises burdens

Human rights is the framework to eliminate health inequities

Chapter 3. The scale of the problem: the dimensions of health inequities

Public health systems are both a cause and a solution to health inequities

Poverty amid current universal trends exacerbates health inequities

Public policies committed to equity present opportunities

Chapter 4. The Red Cross Red Crescent response

A holistic approach to health equity informed by human rights

Provide prevention, treatment, care and support when and where needed

Make reliable, accurate information available and encourage health-seeking behaviours

Promote gender equality, empower women and girls, and enlist the support of men and boys

Obstacles and opportunities

The way forward

References

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Monday, November 28, 2011

[EQ] The WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel - The Evolution of Global Health Diplomacy

The WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel:
The Evolution of Global Health Diplomacy

Global Health Governance, Vol. V, Issue 1, Fall 2011
Allyn L. Taylor and Ibadat S. Dhillon

Available online at: http://bit.ly/tRznWh

“……..The May 2010 adoption of the World Health Organization Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel created a global architecture, including ethical norms and institutional and legal arrangements, to guide international cooperation and serve as a platform for continuing dialogue on the critical problem of health worker migration.

Highlighting the contribution of non-binding instruments to global health governance, this article describes the Code negotiation process from its early stages to the formal adoption of the final text of the Code. Detailed are the vigorous negotiations amongst key stakeholders, including the active role of non-governmental organizations.

The article emphasizes the importance of political leadership, appropriate sequencing, and support for capacity building of developing countries¹ negotiating skills to successful global health negotiations. It also reflects on how the dynamics of the Code negotiation process evidence an evolution in global health negotiations amongst the WHO Secretariat, civil society, and WHO Member States…..”

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[EQ] Conditional Cash Transfer Programmes: The recent experience in Latin America and the Caribbean

Conditional Cash Transfer Programmes: The recent experience in Latin America and the Caribbean

Simone Cecchini, Social Affairs Officer
Social Development Division of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), 2011
Aldo Madariaga, research assistant, in the framework of the component “Social assistance: poverty reduction and income redistribution through conditional

transfer programmes“ of the ECLAC/Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) Cooperation Programme 2010-2011 “Social protection and social inclusion in Latin America and the Caribbean”

Available online PDF [214p.] at: http://bit.ly/sUbHUT

“….This document summarizes experience with conditional cash transfer or “co-responsibility” (CCT) programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean, over a period lasting more than 15 years. During this time, CCTs have consolidated and spread through the region’s various countries as a tool of choice for poverty-reduction policy.

According to the ECLAC database of non-contributory social protection programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean, CCTs are currently being implemented in 18 of the region’s countries, benefiting over 25 million families (about 113 million people) or 19% of the regional population, at a cost of around 0.4% of regional gross domestic product (GDP).

The basic structure of CCTs entails the transfer of monetary and nonmonetary resources to families with young children, living in poverty or extreme poverty, on condition that they fulfil specific commitments aimed at improving their human capacities. Despite the, as yet, inconclusive debates on the appropriateness of these programmes and their results in different domains, they have been hailed as representing a major step in connecting poor and indigent families with school-age children to broader and more comprehensive social-protection systems.

This document, which it is hoped will serve as a basis and input for discussion and progress in building social-protection systems premised on inclusion and universal rights, provides detailed information on the different components of CCTs. It also reviews their main characteristics in terms of the definition and registration of programme users, the targeting mechanisms used, the various types of benefits provided, and the conditionalities attached to them. It then analyses the historical trend of the indicators of CCT investment and coverage, and the information available on their effects in different domains. Lastly, it makes an assessment of the experience and the main challenges that these programmes pose in terms of their sustainability, legal framework, accountability, participation, institutionality and inter-sectoral characteristics….”

Content:
Chapter I Introduction

Chapter II General characteristics of conditional cash transfer programmes

A. Target population

B. Targeting mechanisms

C. Instruments for the selection and registration of target populations

D. Exit criteria

Chapter III Benefits and conditionalities

A. Demand-side benefits

1. Monetary transfers

2. Non-monetary transfers

3. Provision of services and access to other programmes

B. Supply-side provisions

C. Conditionalities

1. Types of conditionality

2. Sanctions and the monitoring of conditionalities

3. Evaluation of conditionalities

Chapter IV Investment and coverage

A. Countries’ efforts towards eradicating extreme poverty

Chapter V Impact

A. Human capacity indicators

B. Income inequality and poverty indicators

C. Consumption

D. Income generation and labour market insertion

E. Child labour

F. Women’s empowerment

Chapter VI Institutional framework and sustainability

A. Financial and political sustainability

B. Legal framework and institutional anchoring

C. Accountability and citizen participation

D. Transparency of beneficiary records

E. Cross-sector integration

Chapter VII Final observations

Annex

Bibliography.

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[EQ] International Profiles of Health Care Systems

International Profiles of Health Care Systems: Australia, Canada, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States

S. Thomson, R. Osborn, D. Squires, and S. J. Reed
November 9, 2011 - The Commonwealth Fund

Available online at: http://bit.ly/sHZOGP

“…..This publication presents overviews of the health care systems of Australia, Canada, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.
Each overview covers health insurance, public and private financing, health system organization, quality of care, health disparities, efficiency and integration, use of health information technology, use of evidence-based practice, cost containment, and recent reforms and innovations.

In addition, summary tables provide data on a number of key health system characteristics and performance indicators, including overall health care spending, hospital spending and utilization, health care access, patient safety, care coordination, chronic care management, disease prevention, capacity for quality improvement, and public views…….”

Content:

Executive Summary

Project Goals and Specific Aims

Background

Methods Overview

Results

Summary of Key Findings

Conclusions

References

Appendix I. Detailed Project Methodology

Appendix II. Measures Identified from Literature Search

Appendix III. Conceptual Frameworks and Draft Measure Concepts

Appendix IV. Care Coordination Advisory Panel

Appendix V. Wave 3 Site Visit Findings: Implication of Data Availability and Access on Measure Implementation

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[EQ] New tool on Social Determinants of Health now available

New tool on Social Determinants of Health now available

ACTION:SDH at: http://bit.ly/rBjlT9 .

This tool is being brought to the public health community by the World Health Organization with the aim of providing public health, and other practitioners on the social determinants of health, with a one-stop portal.

ACTION:SDH houses knowledge on the social determinants according to the five social determinants of health action areas identified in the World Conference on Social Determinants of Health in October 2011.

It also provides a platform for discussion of action on the social determinants of health. We invite all in the social determinants of health community to register on ACTION:SDH. We are also actively seeking partners interested in collaborating in building up the tool, together with its users (contact: actionsdh@who.int).

There are currently three main features to the tool, which we hope to develop jointly with you, and other partners within and beyond WHO:

i. embedded web-pages pages on SDH knowledge relevant to the five action areas for SDH that were identified in the Rio Declaration;

ii. discussion forums that can be used to share tacit knowledge from practice - either by invitation only, or open to all members;

iii. a document repository that initially is housing selected WHO materials on SDH - documents are classified as Examples (case studies), Tools & Resources, and E-library.

Other standard website features also exist, such as an area for advertising upcoming training (Campus) and upcoming meetings (Events).

WHO website: http://bit.ly/u7YMza

Dr Rüdiger Krech Director, Department of Ethics, Equity, Trade and Human Rights
World Health Organization WHO
Geneva Switzerland

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