scholarly journals Japan’s development cooperation for health in Vietnam: a first holistic assessment on Japan’s ODA and non-ODA public resources cooperation

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sangnim Lee ◽  
Aya Ishizuka ◽  
Hisateru Tachimori ◽  
Manami Uechi ◽  
Hidechika Akashi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health System ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Development Cooperation ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
World Health ◽  
Publicly Funded ◽  
External Funding ◽  
Important Lesson ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Country Specific

Abstract Background Japan strives to strengthen its development cooperation by mobilizing various resources to assist partner countries advance on Universal Health Coverage by 2030. However, the involvement and roles of various actors for health are not clear. This study is the first to map Japan’s publicly funded projects by both Official Development Assistance (ODA) and other non-ODA public funds, and to describe the intervention areas. Further, the policy implications for country-specific cooperation strategies are discussed. The development cooperation for health in Vietnam is used as a case in this study. Methods A cross-sectional analysis of the Japanese publicly funded health projects that were being implemented in Vietnam during December 2016 was conducted. A framework of analysis based on the World Health Organization six health systems building blocks was adopted. The projects’ qualitative information was also assessed. Results Overall, 68 projects implemented through Japanese public funding were analyzed. These 68 projects under 15 types of schemes were managed by seven different scheme-operating organizations and funded by five ministries. Of these 44 (64.7%) were ODA and 24 (35.3%) were non-ODA projects. Among the recategorized six building blocks of the health system, the largest proportion of projects was health service delivery (44%), followed by health workforces (25%), and health information systems (15%). Almost half the projects were implemented together with the central hospitals as Vietnamese counterparts, which suggests that this is one area in which the specificities of Japanese cooperation are demonstrated. No synergetic effects of potential collaboration or harmonization among Japanese funded projects were captured. Conclusions Several Japanese-funded projects addressed a wide range of health issues across all six building blocks of the health system in Vietnam. However, there is room for improvement in developing coordination and harmonization among the diversified Japanese projects. Establishing a country-specific mechanism for strategic coordination across Japanese ministries’ schemes can yield efficient and effective development cooperation for health. While Vietnam’s dependence on external funding is low, the importance of coordination across domestic actors of the donor countries can serve as an important lesson, especially in beneficiary countries with high external funding dependency.

scholarly journals Japan’s development cooperation for health in Vietnam: A first holistic assessment on Japan’s ODA and non-ODA public resources cooperation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sangnim Lee ◽  
Hisateru Tachimori ◽  
Maaya Kita Sugai ◽  
Aya Ishizuka ◽  
Manami Uechi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health System ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Development Cooperation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Publicly Funded ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Public Resources

Abstract Background To achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), which is the core driver of health Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by 2030, Japan strives to strengthen its development cooperation by mobilizing various resources. However, the involvement and roles of various actors from Japan in development cooperation for health have not been revealed across various entities of the Japanese government or to the public. This study is the first to systematically assess the overall picture of Japan’s publicly funded cooperation mobilizing Official Development Assistance (ODA) and non-ODA public resources to improve people’s health in Vietnam. A cross-sectional analysis of Japanese publicly funded projects implemented for health cooperation in Vietnam during December 2016 was conducted. A framework based on the six building blocks of health system defined by the World Health Organization was adopted in order to assess the target projects. Results Overall, 68 projects implemented through Japanese public funding were included in the final analysis. These 68 projects under 15 types of schemes were managed by seven different scheme-operating organizations and funded by five ministries. Forty-four of these (64.7%) were ODA and 24 (35.3%) were non-ODA projects. Among the recategorized six building blocks of the health system, the focus area of the largest proportion of projects was health service delivery (44%), followed by health workforces (25%) and health information systems (15%). Almost half the projects were implemented together with the central hospitals as Vietnamese counterparts. Only 10% projects were conducted at the local level. This study was unable to capture the synergetic effects of potential collaboration or harmonization among Japanese funded projects. Conclusions Several Japanese-funded projects addressed a wide range of health issues across all six building blocks of the health system in Vietnam. However, there is room for improvement in developing coordination and harmonization among the Japanese projects that are diversifying. Furthermore, establishing a target-country-specific mechanism for strategic coordination across Japanese ministries’ schemes can yield efficient and effective development cooperation for health. Our analytic approach using the recategorized six building blocks contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of efforts on strengthening the health system.

scholarly journals Japan’s Development Cooperation for Health in Vietnam: a First Holistic Assessment on Japan’s ODA and Non-ODA Public Resources Cooperation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sangnim Lee ◽  
Hisateru Tachimori ◽  
Maaya Kita Sugai ◽  
Aya Ishizuka ◽  
Manami Uechi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health System ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Development Cooperation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Publicly Funded ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Public Resources

Abstract BackgroundTo achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), which is the core driver of health Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by 2030, Japan strives to strengthen its development cooperation by mobilizing various resources. However, the involvement and roles of various actors from Japan in development cooperation for health have not been revealed across various entities of the Japanese government or to the public. This study is the first to systematically assess the overall picture of Japan’s publicly funded cooperation mobilizing Official Development Assistance (ODA) and non-ODA public resources to improve people’s health in Vietnam. MethodsA cross-sectional analysis of Japanese publicly funded projects implemented for health cooperation in Vietnam during December 2016 was conducted. A framework based on the six building blocks of health system defined by the World Health Organization was adopted in order to assess the target projects. ResultsOverall, 68 projects implemented through Japanese public funding were included in the final analysis. These 68 projects under 15 types of schemes were managed by seven different scheme-operating organizations and funded by five ministries. Forty-four of these (64.7 %) were ODA and 24 (35.3 %) were non-ODA projects. Among the recategorized six building blocks of the health system, the focus area of the largest proportion of projects was health service delivery (44 %), followed by health workforces (25 %) and health information systems (15 %). Almost half the projects were implemented together with the central hospitals as Vietnamese counterparts. Only 10 % projects were conducted at the local level. This study was unable to capture the synergetic effects of potential collaboration or harmonization among Japanese funded projects.ConclusionsSeveral Japanese-funded projects addressed a wide range of health issues across all six building blocks of the health system in Vietnam. However, there is room for improvement in developing coordination and harmonization among the Japanese projects that are diversifying. Furthermore, establishing a target-country-specific mechanism for strategic coordination across Japanese ministries’ schemes can yield efficient and effective development cooperation for health. Our analytic approach using the recategorized six building blocks contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of efforts on strengthening the health system.

scholarly journals Diagnostics and monitoring tools for noncommunicable diseases: a missing component in the global response

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Bernabé-Ortiz ◽  
Jessica H. Zafra-Tanaka ◽  
Miguel Moscoso-Porras ◽  
Rangarajan Sampath ◽  
Beatrice Vetter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health System ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
Noncommunicable Disease ◽  
World Health ◽  
Noncommunicable Diseases ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Monitoring Tools

AbstractA key component of any health system is the capacity to accurately diagnose individuals. One of the six building blocks of a health system as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) includes diagnostic tools. The WHO’s Noncommunicable Disease Global Action Plan includes addressing the lack of diagnostics for noncommunicable diseases, through multi-stakeholder collaborations to develop new technologies that are affordable, safe, effective and quality controlled, and improving laboratory and diagnostic capacity and human resources. Many challenges exist beyond price and availability for the current tools included in the Package of Essential Noncommunicable Disease Interventions (PEN) for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases. These include temperature stability, adaptability to various settings (e.g. at high altitude), need for training in order to perform and interpret the test, the need for maintenance and calibration, and for Blood Glucose Meters non-compatible meters and test strips. To date the issues surrounding access to diagnostic and monitoring tools for noncommunicable diseases have not been addressed in much detail. The aim of this Commentary is to present the current landscape and challenges with regards to guidance from the WHO on diagnostic tools using the WHO REASSURED criteria, which define a set of key characteristics for diagnostic tests and tools. These criteria have been used for communicable diseases, but so far have not been used for noncommunicable diseases. Diagnostic tools have played an important role in addressing many communicable diseases, such as HIV, TB and neglected tropical diseases. Clearly more attention with regards to diagnostics for noncommunicable diseases as a key component of the health system is needed.

scholarly journals 29.F. Workshop: The Health Systems and Policy Monitor network: reforms and health system changes in the spotlight

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Health Policy ◽  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Health System ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Comparative Research ◽  
World Health ◽  
State Of Health ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
The Eu

Abstract The European Observatory established the Health Systems and Policy Monitor (HSPM) network in 2008, bringing together an international group of high-profile institutions from Europe and beyond with high academic standing in health systems and policy analysis. An important step was taken in 2011, when the Bertelsmann Health Policy Monitor, a 20-country-project with already significant overlap with the current HSPM network, merged with the Observatory's network of national lead institutions. Today, the network includes 40 institutions from 31 countries, with members participating in a wide range of activities and collaborations, such as writing the Observatory's flagship health system reports (HiTs), keeping the health policy community up-to-date on health system developments via the HSPM web platform, and contributing their expertise to reports, studies and knowledge transfer exercises co-ordinated by the Observatory for a variety of audiences, including ministries of health and international organisations such as the World Health Organization and the European Commission. In addition, network members participate in an annual meeting, hosted in a different member country every year, coming together over two days to exchange knowledge and experiences about the various health system reforms happening in their countries. The aim of these meetings is to present, discuss and start comparative research collaborations of the members that can inform policymaking. As part of a collaboration with the journal Health Policy, researchers of the HSPM network have published more than 100 articles on cross-country comparisons of policies or on ongoing nation health reforms in a special section - the Health Reform Monitor - of the journal. This workshop aims to provide the audience with an overview of the network and its expanding range of activities. An introductory presentation will briefly introduce the origins of the network and discuss its current line of work. The second presentation will provide an overview of reform trends that are routinely collected during the annual meetings as part of the “reform roundup”. The third presentation will give an example of how the network has contributed to the European Commission's State of Health in the EU initiative, by performing a 'rapid response” that informed the companion report to the State of Health in the EU country health profiles 2019. The fourth presentation is a typical example of the kind of collaborative work that the network is undertaking, i.e. involving multiple countries on a topic of shared interest. The workshop will conclude with a debate with the audience about the conceptual and methodological challenges as well as opportunities and future directions of cross-country comparative research and the HSPM network in particular. Key messages The Health Systems and Policy Monitor Network provides detailed descriptions of health systems and provides up to date information on reforms and changes that are particularly policy relevant. The Health Systems and Policy Monitor Network increasingly engages in comparative health systems research and knowledge transfer activities.

scholarly journals Health systems readiness to provide geriatric friendly care services in Uganda: a cross-sectional study

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jude Thaddeus Ssensamba ◽  
Moses Mukuru ◽  
Mary Nakafeero ◽  
Ronald Ssenyonga ◽  
Suzanne N. Kiwanuka
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health System ◽  
Health Facility ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Health Centers ◽  
World Health ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Southern Central

Abstract Background As ageing emerges as the next public health threat in Africa, there is a paucity of information on how prepared its health systems are to provide geriatric friendly care services. In this study, we explored the readiness of Uganda’s public health system to offer geriatric friendly care services in Southern Central Uganda. Methods Four districts with the highest proportion of old persons in Southern Central Uganda were purposively selected, and a cross-section of 18 randomly selected health facilities (HFs) were visited and assessed for availability of critical items deemed important for provision of geriatric friendly services; as derived from World Health Organization’s Age-friendly primary health care centres toolkit. Data was collected using an adapted health facility geriatric assessment tool, entered into Epi-data software and analysed using STATA version 14. Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn’s post hoc tests were conducted to determine any associations between readiness, health facility level, and district. Results The overall readiness index was 16.92 (SD ±4.19) (range 10.8–26.6). This differed across districts; Lwengo 17.91 (SD ±3.15), Rakai 17.63 (SD ±4.55), Bukomansimbi 16.51 (SD ±7.18), Kalungu 13.74 (SD ±2.56) and facility levels; Hospitals 26.62, Health centers four (HCIV) 20.05 and Health centers three (HCIII) 14.80. Low readiness was due to poor scores concerning; leadership (0%), financing (0%), human resources (1.7%) and health management information systems (HMIS) (11.8%) WHO building blocks. Higher-level HFs were statistically significantly friendlier than lower-level HFs (p = 0.015). The difference in readiness between HCIIIs and HCIVs was 2.39 (p = 0.025). Conclusion There is a low readiness for public health facilities to provide geriatric friendly care services in Uganda. This is due to gaps in all of the health system building blocks. There is a need for health system reforms in Uganda to adequately cater for service provision for older adults if the 2020 global healthy ageing goal is to be met.

scholarly journals Strengthening health system building blocks: configuring post-COVID-19 scenario in Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Babar Tasneem Shaikh
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Health System ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Research Capacity ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
World Health ◽  
The Government

Abstract Aim: To gauge the level of preparedness of health system of Pakistan in the wake of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The global COVID-19 outbreak and its subsequent repercussions and implications, after being declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), exposed all the inherent, lingering, and acute shortcomings of the health systems in many developing countries and Pakistan was no exception. Methods: A detailed literature review was done which included peer-reviewed articles on COVID-19 and health system, published in local and international journals, WHO and World Bank’s publications, and the documents and official reports of the government. Focus was to glean and cite strategies adopted by the developing countries in response to COVID-19 and to see the applicability of those which are feasible for Pakistan. Findings: Level of preparedness was minimal and the response to manage the outbreak was weak. Based on toll of the cases and number of deaths, this public health threat turned out to be a catastrophe beyond the controlling authority and capacity of the health system, and hence other sectors and agencies had to be engaged for devising a concerted and integrated response to deal with the emergency. Governance was disorderly, financing was inadequate, human resources were not trained, supplies and logistic were not stocked, information system was patchy, and research capacity was limited, and most of all the service delivery was in a biggest chaos of times. COVID-19 demanded to re-configure the health system of Pakistan. Conclusion: Improving the emergency preparedness of the hospitals is the foremost and an urgent need. A strong national public health system in Pakistan is needed to rapidly investigate and analyze the reports, assess the magnitude of the public health risk, share real-time information, and implement public health control measures in a concerted and systematic demeanor.

scholarly journals Health Insurance Reimbursement to Hosptials in Vietnam: Policy Implementation Results and Challenges

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 117863292110101
Author(s):  
Nguyen Thu Ha ◽  
Nguyen Quynh Anh ◽  
Phan Van Toan ◽  
Nguyen Thanh Huong
Keyword(s):  
Health Insurance ◽  
Health System ◽  
Social Health Insurance ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
World Health ◽  
Key Informants ◽  
Implementation Challenges ◽  
Insurance Reimbursement ◽  
Out Of Pocket Payments ◽  
Reimbursement Amount

In Vietnam, social health insurance (SHI) benefit package has been defined in a more explicit approach with the introduction of a regulation on the list of conditional reimbursed and non-reimbursed medical services. This paper aims to analyze the implementation results of this regulation from an economical perspective as well as the implementation challenges. Mix-method approach was employed. The quantitative component was employed to understand the implementation results. Desk study and qualitative components (2 inteviews with key informants from Ministry of Health; 6 discussions with key informants from provincial Social Security Offices and Departments of Health in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Tuyen Quang, Thai Binh and Soc Trang provinces; the other 23 discussions and 31 interviews with key informants from 23 selected hospitals) was employed to summarize the implementation challenges. The regulation seems to not able to mitigate the reimbursement of high-technology and expensive services in higher-level providers. There is a sign of increasing out-of-pocket payments for those regulated services in higher-level providers. It has also posed greater influence on lower-level providers in terms of the proportion of reimbursement amount rather than to higher-level hospitals. Applying World Health Organization’s 6 building blocks of health system to analyze the implementation challenges, we provide policymakers evidence to improve the regulation, as well as point out the relating health system weakness need to be strengthened.

scholarly journals Health systems readiness to provide geriatric friendly care services in Uganda: a cross-sectional study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jude Thaddeus Ssensamba ◽  
Moses Mukuru ◽  
Mary Nakafeero ◽  
Ronald Ssenyonga ◽  
Suzanne N Kiwanuka
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health System ◽  
Health Facility ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Health Centers ◽  
World Health ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Southern Central

Abstract Background As ageing emerges as the next public health threat in Africa, there is a paucity of information on how prepared its health systems are to provide geriatric friendly care services. In this study, we explored the readiness of Uganda’s public health system to provide geriatric friendly care services in Southern Central Uganda. Methods Four districts with the highest proportion of old persons in Southern Central Uganda were purposively selected, and a cross section of 18 randomly selected health facilities (HFs) were visited and assessed for availability of key items deemed important for provision of geriatric friendly services; as derived from World Health Organization’s Age-friendly primary health care centres toolkit. Data was collected using an adapted health facility geriatric assessment tool, entered into Epi-data software and analysed using STATA version 14. Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn’s post hoc tests were conducted to determine any associations between readiness, health facility level and district. Results The overall readiness index was 16.92 (SD ±4.19) (range 10.8 - 26.6). This differed across districts; Lwengo 17.91 (SD ±3.15), Rakai 17.63 (SD ±4.55), Bukomansimbi 16.51 (SD ±7.18), Kalungu 13.74 (SD ±2.56) and facility levels; Hospitals 26.62, Health centers four (HCIV) 20.05 and Health centers three (HCIII) 14.80. Low readiness was due to poor scores with regard to; leadership (0%), financing (0%), human resources (1.7%) and health management information systems (HMIS) (11.8%) WHO building blocks. Higher level HFs were statistically significantly friendlier than lower level HFs (p= 0.015). The difference in readiness between HCIIIs and HCIVs was 2.39 (p=0.025). Conclusion There is low readiness of public health facilities to provide geriatric friendly care services in Uganda. This is due to gaps in all of the health system building blocks. There is a need for health system reforms in Uganda to adequately cater for service provision for old people if the 2020 global healthy ageing goal is to be met.

Analysis of the Health Sector Evolution Plan from the perspective of equity in healthcare financing: a multiple streams model

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Telma Zahirian Moghadam ◽  
Pouran Raeissi ◽  
Mehdi Jafari-Sirizi
Keyword(s):  
Health System ◽  
Agenda Setting ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
World Health ◽  
Healthcare Financing ◽  
Multiple Streams ◽  
Framework Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Multiple Streams Model

Purpose Health Sector Evolution Plan (HSEP) is known as the biggest and most comprehensive reform in Iran’s health system. One of the goals of HSEP is to reduce inequity in the healthcare financing. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate HSEP agenda setting from the perspective of equity in healthcare financing (EHCF) using the multiple streams model. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study was conducted by 26 documents review and analysis, and 30 semi-structured interview with Iranian key informants in the field of HSEP that were selected based on purposeful and snowball sampling method. Data were collected using a researcher-made checklist based on the goals. All audio-taped interviews were transcribed and analyzed thematically. Data management and analysis were performed using the framework analysis in MAXQDA software. Findings The framework analysis identified 12 complementary sub-themes totally. Problem stream included four sub-themes (high share of Out Of Pocket, high index of catastrophic health expenditures, low EHCF index, and inappropriate economic state and sanctions). Focus on EHCF in general policies of the Iran World Health Organization’s report in 2000, the Targeted Subsidies Law and emphasis on equalizing healthcare financing in the Fourth and Fifth Development Plan were considered as policy stream sub-themes. Finally, political stream showed four sub-themes including strong support from the Minister of Health for HSEP, mass media, the pressure of WHO and people’s request to reduce health costs. Research limitations/implications The limitations of the present study included paying attention to one package (evolution in the treatment sector) of three health packages to assess EHCF, as well as the lack of similar national and international evidence in implementation framework. Practical implications The results of this study can be used to analyze other health sector reforms around the word and can help the formulation and implementation of most practical reforms, especially in field of health system financing. Social implications This study gives a holistic view about health system policy setting that can be used for understanding policy-making streams to population. Originality/value This is the first study that has examined HSEP (the biggest health sector reform in Iran) from the perspective of agenda setting. In addition, using the popular and well-known Kingdon’s model to explain HSEP agenda setting is one of the strengths of this study. Furthermore, taking advantage of a wide range of related views by including highly informed people increased the strength of the results of the study. In addition, the short interval between the interview and reviewing the results on reforms reduced the recall bias of the participants in the study.

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