HEALTH SYSTEMS Keerti Bhusan Pradhan

What is a health system?  It is the sum total of all the organizations, institutions and resources whose primary purpose is to improve health.  A health system needs staff, funds, information, supplies, transport, communications and overall guidance and direction. And it needs to provide services that are responsive and financially fair, while treating people decently.

Where is the problem?  Problems with health systems are not confined to poor countries. Some rich countries have large populations without access to care because of inequitable arrangements for social protection. Others are struggling with escalating costs because of inefficient use of resources.

Growing recognition  Overall there is a growing recognition that to maintain and improve the health of the world’s people governments must shape sound, efficient health systems that provide effective disease prevention and treatment to all women, men and children, no matter who they are or where they live.

1. Stewardship  Stewardship, sometimes more narrowly defined as governance, refers to the wide range of functions carried out by governments as they seek to achieve national health policy objectives.

2. Financing  The purpose of health financing is to ensure that adequate funding is available and the right financial incentives are in place to guarantee that all individuals have access to needed preventive and personal health care.

3. Workforce  The performance of health care systems depends on the knowledge, skills, motivation and distribution of the people responsible for organizing and delivering services.

4. Information  Accountability, resource allocation, programme improvement and management decisions all rely on sound health information

5. Knowledge  Fostering environments that encourage the creation, sharing, and effective application of knowledge is vital for a health system to function well.

6. Drugs and technology  The availability, quality, efficacy, safety and rational use of drugs and health technology are necessary for effective health service delivery.

7. Research  There remain many unanswered questions about how to develop and maintain well-functioning health systems that progress towards universal coverage. Research in this area is vital.

8. Service delivery  Just as the principal objective of a health system is to improve people's health, the chief function the system needs to perform is to deliver health services.

9. Equity  Reducing health inequities is important because health is a fundamental human right and its progressive realization will eliminate inequalities that result from differences in health status.

10. Health and Development  Strengthening health systems and making them more equitable are key strategies for fighting poverty and fostering development.

WHO Support  an increase in effective services to all people in need, including service delivery management and support  improved patient safety, efficacy of services and financial protection  increased efficiency and building of financial, human, institutional, and knowledge capacities  coordinated, participatory and accountable policy formulation and implementation.

Thank You