Embracing Mixed Health Systems: Navigating The Development Trap

This book examines policies and programs which overcome the barriers that too often impede policy makers and aid agencies from effectively engaging with private health providers to assure and improve care. The private health sector plays a critical role in developing countries, as it often provides a large share of all care. In most countries, it is impossible to improve health services and products without engaging the private sector, and without this engagement health outcomes stagnate. Yet, policy makers and aid agencies often overlook this, preferring to stick with familiar approaches to health goals - grounded in public agencies and public services. This ingrained public-sector-centrism undermines program effectiveness and sustainability. Using case studies from Bangladesh's tuberculosis program to Estonia's contracted primary care, to Brazil's hospital public-private partnerships, this book gives examples of how policy makers and aid agencies are making efforts to involve the private sector in their health systems. Building from these examples, this book explores the implications for the kind of development assistance that is necessary to be more effective in supporting these initiatives. This book is an invaluable resource for policy makers, analysts, economists, and development specialists looking to improve programs, policies, and systems and leverage all of the resources in low- and middle-income countries to advance public health.