A scoping review of cost benefit analysis in reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health: What we know and what are the gaps?
Growing evidence suggests that early life investments in health are associated with improved human capital and economic outcomes. Various recent global studies have simulated the expected economic returns from alternative packages of interventions in reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH). However, very little is known about the comparability of estimates of the economic returns of RMNCH interventions across studies in low and middle income countries. Our study aims to fill this gap. We performed a comprehensive scoping review of the recent literature (2000-2013) on the economic returns (i.e. benefit-cost...
Source: Health Policy and Planning - October 30, 2016 Category: Health Management Authors: Maitra, C., Hodge, A., Jimenez Soto, E. Tags: Reviews Source Type: research
Models of public-private engagement for health services delivery and financing in Southern Africa: a systematic review
In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the private sector—including international donors, non-governmental organizations, for-profit providers and traditional healers—plays a significant role in health financing and delivery. The use of the private sector in furthering public health goals is increasingly common. By working with the private sector through public–private engagement (PPE), states can harness private sector resources to further public health goals. PPE initiatives can take a variety of forms and understanding of these models is limited. This paper presents the results of a Campbell syst...
Source: Health Policy and Planning - October 30, 2016 Category: Health Management Authors: Whyle, E. B., Olivier, J. Tags: Reviews Source Type: research
Does addressing gender inequalities and empowering women and girls improve health and development programme outcomes?
This article presents evidence supporting the hypothesis that promoting gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment (GEWE) leads to better health and development outcomes. We reviewed the literature across six sectors—family planning (FP); maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH); nutrition; agriculture; water, sanitation and hygiene; and financial services for the poor—and found 76 studies from low and middle-income countries that met our inclusion criteria. Across these studies, we identified common GEWE variables that emerged repeatedly as significant predictors of sector outcomes. We gro...
Source: Health Policy and Planning - October 30, 2016 Category: Health Management Authors: Taukobong, H. F. G., Kincaid, M. M., Levy, J. K., Bloom, S. S., Platt, J. L., Henry, S. K., Darmstadt, G. L. Tags: Reviews Source Type: research
Effectiveness of interventions to provide culturally appropriate maternity care in increasing uptake of skilled maternity care: a systematic review
This article describes a systematic review to examine the evidence available on the effects of interventions to provide culturally appropriate maternity care on the use of skilled maternity care during pregnancy, for birth or in the postpartum period. Items published in English, French and/or Spanish between 1 January 1990 and 31 March 2014 were considered. Fifteen studies describing a range of interventions met the inclusion criteria. Data were extracted on population and intervention characteristics; study design; definitions and data for relevant outcomes; and the contexts and conditions in which interventions occurred....
Source: Health Policy and Planning - October 30, 2016 Category: Health Management Authors: Coast, E., Jones, E., Lattof, S. R., Portela, A. Tags: Reviews Source Type: research
A review of CAREs Community Score Card experience and evidence
The global community’s growing enthusiasm for the potential of social accountability approaches to improve health system performance and accelerate health progress makes it imperative that we learn from social accountability intervention implementation experience and results. To this end, we carried out a review of Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, Inc. (CARE)’s experience with the Community Score Card© (CSC)—a social accountability approach CARE developed in Malawi. We reviewed projects that CARE implemented between 2002 and 2013 that employed the CSC and that had at least one evalua...
Source: Health Policy and Planning - October 30, 2016 Category: Health Management Authors: Gullo, S., Galavotti, C., Altman, L. Tags: Reviews Source Type: research
Public health interventions to protect against falsified medicines: a systematic review of international, national and local policies
Conclusions: Combining anti-falsifying strategies targeting different levels of the pharmaceutical supply chain provides multiple barriers of protection from falsified medicines. This requires the political will to drive policy implementation; otherwise, people around the world remain at risk. (Source: Health Policy and Planning)
Source: Health Policy and Planning - October 30, 2016 Category: Health Management Authors: Hamilton, W. L., Doyle, C., Halliwell-Ewen, M., Lambert, G. Tags: Reviews Source Type: research
What systems are essential to achieving the sustainable development goals and what will it take to marshal them?
The sustainable development goal (SDG) for health is linked to 67 indicators, eight times more than their predecessor, the Millenium Development Goals. In many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the information infrastructure is not yet able to collect and use the data needed for the indicators. As they seek to be responsive to the SDG agenda, LMICs must not lose sight of their local data needs; they should be cautious about embracing untested electronic technologies for data collection, analysis, and use; carefully balance the care provision and data collection responsibilities of care providers; and use evidence o...
Source: Health Policy and Planning - October 30, 2016 Category: Health Management Authors: Thomas, J. C., Silvestre, E., Salentine, S., Reynolds, H., Smith, J. Tags: Commentary Source Type: research
Renewing membership in three community-based health insurance schemes in rural India
This article uses longitudinal data to analyse what determines renewal, both 1 year and 2 years after the introduction of three CBHI schemes, which have been operating in rural Bihar and Uttar Pradesh since 2011. We find that initial scheme uptake is ~23–24% and that 2 years after scheme operation, only ~20% of the initial enrolees maintain their membership. A household’s socio-economic status does not seem to play a large role in impeding renewal. In some instances, a greater understanding of the scheme boosts renewal. The link between health status and use of health care in maintaining renewal ...
Source: Health Policy and Planning - October 30, 2016 Category: Health Management Authors: Panda, P., Chakraborty, A., Raza, W., Bedi, A. S. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
Eliciting preferences for social health insurance in Ethiopia: a discrete choice experiment
As low-income countries are initiating health insurance schemes, Ethiopia is also planning to move away from out-of-pocket private payments to health insurance. The success of such a policy depends on understanding and predicting preferences of potential enrolees. This is because a scarce health care budget forces providers and consumers to make trade-offs between potential benefits within a health insurance. An assessment of preferences of potential enrolees can therefore add important information to optimal resource allocation in the design of health insurance. We used a discrete choice experiment to elicit preferences f...
Source: Health Policy and Planning - October 30, 2016 Category: Health Management Authors: Obse, A., Ryan, M., Heidenreich, S., Normand, C., Hailemariam, D. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
Economic costs to caregivers of diarrhoea treatment among children below 5 in rural Gujarat India: findings from an external evaluation of the DAZT programme
This study evaluates the economic impact of diarrhoea to caregivers before and after the introduction of zinc and ORS at scale through the DAZT programme.
Methods: The DAZT programme evaluation took a before-and-after study design using a two-stage clustered cross-sectional survey. Factors associated with the odds of caregivers incurring economic costs and their amounts were evaluated in a two-part modelling approach.
Results: The DAZT programme lowered unadjusted economic costs to caregivers of treating a diarrhoeal episode from $4.04 to $2.49 in 2 years. Controlling for covariates, analysis showed no association between ...
Source: Health Policy and Planning - October 30, 2016 Category: Health Management Authors: Shillcutt, S. D., LeFevre, A. E., Fischer Walker, C. L., Taneja, S., Black, R. E., Mazumder, S. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
Navigating institutional complexity in the health sector: lessons from tobacco control in Kenya
Conclusion This study points to the importance of coordinating policy development and implementation across levels of government and the need for leadership and clear mandates to guide cooperation within the health sector. The Kenyan experience offers useful lessons in the pitfalls of institutional incoherence, but more importantly, the value of investing in and then promoting well-functioning institutions. (Source: Health Policy and Planning)
Source: Health Policy and Planning - October 30, 2016 Category: Health Management Authors: Lencucha, R., Magati, P., Drope, J. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
Financing institutional long-term care for the elderly in China: a policy evaluation of new models
A rapid ageing population coupled with changes in family structure has brought about profound implications to social policy in China. Although the past decade has seen a steady increase in public funding to long-term care (LTC), the narrow financing base and vast population have created significant unmet demand, calling for reforms in financing. This paper focuses on the financing of institutional LTC care by examining new models that have emerged from local policy experiments against two policy goals: equity and efficiency. Three emerging models are explored: Social Health Insurance (SHI) in Shanghai, LTC Nursing Insuranc...
Source: Health Policy and Planning - October 30, 2016 Category: Health Management Authors: Yang, W., Jingwei He, A., Fang, L., Mossialos, E. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
Persistent low adherence to hypertension treatment in Kyrgyzstan: How can we understand the role of drug affordability?
It is well known that cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a growing cause of mortality and morbidity in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC). While hypertension (HTN), a leading risk factor for CVD, can be easily managed with widely available medicines, there is a huge gap in treatment for HTN in many LMIC. One such country is Kyrgyzstan, where HTN is a major public health concern and adherence to medication is low. The reasons for low adherence in Kyrgyzstan are not well understood, but some evidence suggests that HTN medicines may be unaffordable for low-income families, resulting in inequitable access to HTN treatment. ...
Source: Health Policy and Planning - October 30, 2016 Category: Health Management Authors: Murphy, A., Jakab, M., McKee, M., Richardson, E. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
Evaluation of SMS reminder messages for altering treatment adherence and health seeking perceptions among malaria care-seekers in Nigeria
This study aimed to replicate the SMS intervention in a different population, and additionally test the effect of an expanded message about anticipated RDT access policy change on customers’ acceptability for drug retailers’ administration of RDTs. One day after being tested with an RDT, participants who purchased malaria treatment from drug shops were randomized to receive (1) a basic SMS reminder repeating the RDT result and appropriate treatment actions, (2) an expanded SMS reminder additionally saying that the ‘government might allow pharmacists/chemists to do RDTs’ or (3) no SMS reminders (i.e....
Source: Health Policy and Planning - October 30, 2016 Category: Health Management Authors: Liu, J. X., Modrek, S. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
Understanding factors that influence the integration of acute malnutrition interventions into the national health system in Niger
Since 2007 to address a high burden, integration of acute malnutrition has been promoted in Niger. This paper studies factors that influenced the integration process of acute malnutrition into the Niger national health system.
We used qualitative methods of observation, key informant interviews and focus group discussions at national level, two districts and nine communities selected through convenience sampling, as well as document review. A framework approach constructed around the problem, intervention, adoption system, health system characteristics and broad context guided the analysis. Data were recorded on paper, tra...
Source: Health Policy and Planning - October 30, 2016 Category: Health Management Authors: Deconinck, H., Hallarou, M. E., Pesonen, A., Gerard, J. C., Criel, B., Donnen, P., Macq, J. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
