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Chapter 36 - Political Economy of Health Reforms in Low and Middle Income Countries

from Section 2 - Transforming Health Systems: Confronting Challenges, Seizing Opportunities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 December 2022

By
Vivian Lin
Edited by
Sameen Siddiqi ,
Awad Mataria ,
Katherine D. Rouleau  and
Meesha Iqbal
Sameen Siddiqi
Affiliation:
Aga Khan University
Awad Mataria
Affiliation:
World Health Organization, Egypt
Katherine D. Rouleau
Affiliation:
University of Toronto
Meesha Iqbal
Affiliation:
UTHealth School of Public Health, Houston
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Summary

Meant for public health professionals, the Chapter explains what is meant by political economy and its relevance to health, why structural reforms in health are frequently influenced and obstructed by political considerations, how political expediency influences priority setting decisions in health that are frequently related to allocation of resources, and what measures can be taken to minimize political obstacles and barriers in favour of evidence-informed decisions. Political economy of health, as a field of study, grew rapidly in the 1970s that sought to explain the disparities in health care access and the socioeconomic differential in health status across society. Health system development, reform and transformation is a social and political intervention. Political economy analysis (PEA) is central to the successful formulation of health policies and plans and for ensuring their effective implementation. PEA can help to identify potential barriers and facilitators for policy and system change. PEA can help to identify potential barriers and facilitators for policy and system change.

Keywords

Political economyHealth reformPolicy cyclePolitical economy analysisSocial determinantsPath dependencyPolitical expediencyPriority settingAllocation of resourcesPolicy implementationL&MIC
Type
Chapter
Information
Making Health Systems Work in Low and Middle Income Countries
Textbook for Public Health Practitioners
 , pp. 563 - 577
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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