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Goals and Approach
Many
low and middle-income countries are committed to improving the performance
of their health care systems. They face daunting challenges: the historical
burden of infectious disease and malnutrition, the increasing toll of
non-infectious disease and aging populations, rising expectations, and
scarce resources. To contribute knowledge and solutions to these problems,
the International Health Systems Program (IHSP) in the Department of Population
and International Health, Harvard School of Public Health has gathered
a highly experienced, multidisciplinary team of scholars and experts to
apply innovative approaches to improving health care through research,
training, and technical assistance. The IHSP is committed both to advancing
the state of relevant knowledge and to bringing this knowledge to bear
on appropriate applications to achieve better health status, reduction
in poverty, and gains in human well-being for the poorer populations in
both low and middle-income countries.
To achieve these goals, IHSP works with many partners around the world.
We seek both to meet the specific needs of our collaborators, but also
to create learning that can contribute to solving the problems of others.
We also strive to enhance the skills and capacities of our partners for
further leadership. As a university-based group, IHSP is committed to
intellectual excellence and exchange based on mutual learning. As an active
participant in development projects, we are also dedicated to timely and
effective implementation of effective health system change.
Areas of Focus
In
its research, training, and technical assistance efforts, the IHSP contributes
to a variety of key health system improvement themes:
Health system financing, including social health insurance, community
financing and national health accounts
Institutional reforms and capacity building, including decentralization,
organizational reform of ministries of health, human resource strategic
planning, and management training
Politics and governance, including political strategies, advocacy
and approaches to working in fragile states
Public/Private partnerships, including assessment of private markets
Building community capacities through social capital improvements
Strengthening health system support for reproductive health and HIV/AIDS
projects
Country Experience
IHSP
faculty and researchers have worked all over the globe in a variety of
country situations. Most recently we have been involved in projects and
training activities in India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Philippines,
Nicaragua, Ukraine, Kosovo, Chile, Uganda, Turkey, and Egypt. In the past,
we have also had long term projects in Zambia, Colombia and Poland.
Innovative
Training Programs
IHSP
has been a major participant in the design and implementation of the renowned
Harvard School of Public Health and World Bank Institute Flagship Course
on Health System Reform and Sustainable Financing which as been given
annually in Washington and also in regional and country programs.
IHSP is closely involved in organizing the China Senior Health Leaders
Training Program, a five-year program (2006-2010) as part of the HSPH
China Initiative.
IHSP also has a series of well-attended, two-week
executive training programs in Boston on policy and management
of decentralization, human resources strategic planning, quality improvement,
strategic planning, and public/private partnerships.
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International
Collaboration
Through
international collaborations, the IHSP is strengthening the research
and training capacity of institutions and gaining valuable long-term
partners for the continuing generation of high quality knowledge
on health reform issues. IHSP has had long-term collaborative relationships
with the University of Chile and the Catholic University in Santiago
Chile, the Institute of Public Health at the Jagiellonian University
in Krakow, Poland; National Health Accounts Networks in Latin America,
Africa, and the Middle East; the Central and Eastern European Health
Reform Network; and the China Network in Training and Research in
Health Economics and Financing. We also have strong working relationships
with Catalyst Management Services in Bangalore, India; Contech in
Lahore, Pakistan; Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) in
Manila, Philippines, ALVA, SA. in Managua, Nicaragua, Fundacion
Plenitude in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
IHSP
Tools
National
Health Accounts software
IHSP has been one of the leading innovators in the development of
a systematic approach to National Health Accounts including a NHA
software and contributions to the WHO, World Bank, USAID Producers
Guide to National Health Accounts
Policy Maker software for policy analysis and feasibility forecasting.
This software is a useful tool for assessing the political map of
support and opposition to health system reforms both large and small
and for developing political strategies to gain support and reduce
opposition.
Decision-Space mapping for decentralization assessment. Based
on an innovative approach to decentralization, this instrument assesses
the degree of choice over different key health system functions that
local officials are able to exercise. Survey instruments have been
developed in Nicaragua, Morocco, and Pakistan to assess the actual,
as opposed to the theoretical, "decision space" that local
officials exercise.
Private
Healthcare Market Mapping
This tool provides a comprehensive framework for assessing the extent
and major players of private market provision of services and provides
models for maximizing private sector contribution as well as enhancing
the Public-Private Partnership towards achieving social goals.
Funding
Sources
IHSP
has received significant funding from a series of global and bilateral
USAID projects, including the Data for Decision Making Project,
Partnerships for Health Reform Project, Poland Health Reform Project,
Management and Leadership Project (Nicaragua), LEAD Project (Philippines),
Together for Health Project (Ukraine). The British aid agency, DFID
has provided global support for health reform research and support
for the Medium Term Strategy and Expenditure Framework for Andhra
Pradesh, India. The World Bank has collaborated with IHSP on the
Flagship Course on Health Reform and Sustainable Financing. Sweden's
SIDA has supported public private partnerships studies. The Merck
Foundation supported out of pocket payments studies in five Central
European countries.
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