Reducing the Knowledge Gap in Global Health Delivery

2020 ◽  
pp. 152-165
Author(s):  
Andres Garchitorena ◽  
Megan B. Murray ◽  
Bethany Hedt-Gauthier ◽  
Paul E. Farmer ◽  
Matthew H. Bonds
Keyword(s):  
Global Health ◽  
International Development ◽  
Adaptive Systems ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
New Era ◽  
Health Delivery ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Universal Health

Randomized control trials (RCTs) are considered to be the gold standard for impact evaluation in international development and they are associated with a new era of evidence-based global health policies. However, there are inherent challenges in using RCTs to answer some of the most important questions in global health: why, if solutions are known, affordable at scale, and supported by existing evidence, do hundreds of millions of people lack access to essential health services? A lack of clarity on appropriate research methods for strengthening health systems has corresponded to a lack of investment in more complex and adaptive systems of integrated care delivery. This chapter reviews the use of RCTs in global health, highlighting major contributions, and addressing some pressing priorities in implementation research at a time when the Sustainable Development Goals emphasize the importance of sector-wide approaches, such as integrated primary care and universal health coverage.

Global Health and International Development

2018 ◽  
pp. 216-235
Author(s):  
Andrew Harmer ◽  
Jonathan Kennedy
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Economic System ◽  
International Development ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Global Population

This chapter explores the relationship between international development and global health. Contrary to the view that development implies ‘good change’, this chapter argues that the discourse of development masks the destructive and exploitative practices of wealthy countries at the expense of poorer ones. These practices, and the unregulated capitalist economic system that they are part of, have created massive inequalities between and within countries, and potentially catastrophic climate change. Both of these outcomes are detrimental to global health and the millennium development goals and sustainable development goals do not challenge these dynamics. While the Sustainable Development Goals acknowledge that inequality and climate change are serious threats to the future of humanity, they fail to address the economic system that created them. Notwithstanding, it is possible that the enormity and proximity of the threat posed by inequality and global warming will energise a counter movement to create what Kate Raworth terms ‘an ecologically safe and socially just space’ for the global population while there is still time.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Pandemic: An Inhibitor of Universal Health Coverage Programme: A ViewPoint

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Helen Idubamo Wankasi
Keyword(s):  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Effective Governance ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Frontline Healthcare Workers ◽  
Universal Health

Ever since the re-emergence of Covid-19 as a pandemic, healthcare facilities (human and materials) have been overstressed, evidenced by the rate at which frontline healthcare workers fall sick and die in the course. In some healthcare institutions, the narrative has changed with regards to the number of days to access physicians for treatment, but selected and booked only on specific days and periods, except in extreme emergencies are able to access physicians un-booked. This is inconsistent with the intent of Universal Health Coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals. This paper, therefore, highlighted the objectives, covering a brief overview of COVID-19 and Universal Health Coverage; identified countries developed (Germany 1883) and emerging (South Africa/Nigeria) that have adopted Universal Health Coverage as well described how COVID-19 stands as an inhibitor to the achievement of Universal Health Coverage. At the tail end, recommendations are made on the way forward on the need for effective governance, manpower sourcing and general strengthening of the healthcare system.

International development assistance and health

2019 ◽  
pp. 140-163
Author(s):  
Ronald Labonté ◽  
Arne Ruckert
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Global Health ◽  
International Development ◽  
Development Assistance ◽  
Macroeconomic Policies ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Health Gains ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Open Question

The pursuit of global health gains has been one the aims of international development policy for several decades. Along with migration, trade agreements and dominant macroeconomic policies (i.e., neoliberalism), development assistance (aid) is one of the defining elements of contemporary globalization, a noblesse oblige on the part of wealthier nations to support the improvement of lives in poorer, often former colonized, nations. Rarely achieving its stated commitments, and declining since its peak-generosity in the 1960s, aid has been subject to intense disagreements, vacillating between being seen as creating a neocolonial dependency, to arguments for its absolute necessity in saving lives. Since 2000 the aid discourse has been dominated by global development goals, the first set expiring in 2015 (the Millennium Development Goals) and the next and more exhaustive set running until 2030 (the Sustainable Development Goals). Whether these new goals will deliver on their commitments remains an open question.

Women’s, children’s, and adolescents’ health in a changing world

2018 ◽  
pp. 3-6
Author(s):  
Mike Rowson
Keyword(s):  
Health Expenditures ◽  
Children's Health ◽  
Children’S Health ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Environmental Transitions ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
New Challenges ◽  
Universal Health

There have been huge improvements in women’s and children's health over the past five decades, resulting from rising living standards, increased health expenditures, and donor investments. However, large inequalities remain and, driven by epidemiological, economic, political, and environmental transitions, new challenges have emerged. Global health and women’s and children’s health specifically have been evolving to recognise the broader determinants of health, and away from more targeted interventions. The vision of Universal Health Coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals are the broader visions put forward by the international community. But there remain questions about whether they will achieve the cross-sectoral action required to improve women’s and children's health still further.

scholarly journals Monitoring Frameworks for Universal Health Coverage: What About High-Income Countries?

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 387-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Bergen ◽  
Arne Ruckert ◽  
Ronald Labonté
Keyword(s):  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
High Income ◽  
World Health ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Universal Health

Implementing universal health coverage (UHC) is widely perceived to be central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and is a work program priority of the World Health Organization (WHO). Much has already been written about how low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) can monitor progress towards UHC, with various UHC monitoring frameworks available in the literature. However, we suggest that these frameworks are largely irrelevant in high-income contexts and that the international community still needs to develop UHC monitoring framework meaningful for high-income countries (HICs). As a first step, this short communication presents preliminary findings from a literature review and document analysis on how various countries monitor their own progress towards achieving UHC. It furthermore offers considerations to guide meaningful UHC monitoring and reflects on pertinent challenges and tensions to inform future research on UHC implementation in HIC settings.

scholarly journals 1167Disease Burden and Universal Health Coverage Monitoring

2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shohei Okamoto ◽  
Keita Shimmmei ◽  
Tomonori Okamura
Keyword(s):  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
Disease Burden ◽  
Noncommunicable Diseases ◽  
Epidemiological Transition ◽  
World Bank Group ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Bank Group ◽  
Universal Health

Abstract Background Achieving universal health coverage (UHC) is a target of the Sustainable Development Goals, and the monitoring of its progress is of use to clarify what to be enhanced for better health. While the WHO and the World Bank Group jointly developed a scale with the above purpose (WHO/WB index: Hogan et al., 2018), it fails to reflect the fact that different needs to health coverages may exist depending on a stage of epidemiological transition. Methods To consider potential differences in health coverage needs depending on the stage of the epidemiological transition, we reformulated the index by incorporating weight as the proportion of age-adjusted mortality rate among monitored domains (i.e. reproductive, maternal, new-born and child health, infectious disease, non-communicable diseases [NCD]), of which data collected from the WHO Global Health Observatory. Additionally, we utilised indicators of policy achievements on NCD by the WHO’s Noncommunicable Diseases Progress Monitor 2015. Results The UHC progress monitored by the WHO/WB index had a mean of 61.83 (%) while it declined by about 4% point on average when NCD indicators were replaced. Furthermore, the UHC progresses evaluated with weights calculated from disease burden decreased by about 10% point for both measures, suggesting that some countries may not provide demanded health coverages. Conclusion The UHC progress decreased when disease burden for each country was taken into consideration. This indicates the necessity to assess the UHC progressby reflecting disease structure of each country, not by an identical scale for all nations. Key messages The monitoring of universal health coverage is required to reflect disease structure of each country.

scholarly journals Selective Universalism: The Paradoxical Strategy to Achieve Universal Health Coverage in India

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 154-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kanchan Mukherjee
Keyword(s):  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Selective Approach ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Disease Study ◽  
Universal Health

Universal health coverage (UHC), goal three of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), has been on the agenda for some time now. However, India has not been able to achieve the less ambitious targets of Health for All (HFA) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In this context, this article identifies inefficiency as one key factor affecting progress towards UHC. One of the key contributors to inefficiency is lack of evidence-informed decisions in India. Using evidence from economic evaluation and global burden of disease study, seven cost-effective targets have been identified for prioritization in the Indian context. It is proposed that a selective approach targeting these seven targets would be a more efficient way of addressing the challenge of UHC in India.

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