DOUGLAS W BETTCHER and HEATHER WIPFLI - J Epidemiol Community Health 2001;55:617-8
In her article Fran Baum is correct in pointing out that the political complexities of our globalised world must be taken into account by public health professionals. Global health futures are directly or indirectly associated with the transnational economic, social, and technological changes taking place in the world. Issues such as poverty, equity, and justice must be firmly rooted in any discussions aimed at improving global public health. However, globalisation is a "janus faced" creature: the double face of globalisation, one promising and the other threatening, is a fact of life as humanity is being catapulted into a more interdependent future.
Public-Private Mix
Towards a more sustainable globalisation:
the role of the public health community
In the dark over privatisation?
The Congress of South African Trade Unions' (Cosatu's) strike action against privatisation has placed a large question mark over the effectiveness of South Africa's efforts to privatise parastatals - or at least communicate to the broader community the need to restructure.
Private health care in developing countries
If it is to work, it must start from what users need
BMJ September, 2001 )
Three objectives are recommended in relation to the private provision of care for conditions of public health importance: widening access, improving quality, and ensuring non-exploitative prices. None of these will be simple to achieve; and multifaceted interventions, involving policymakers, providers, and users will be required. Increasingly service users (or "consumers") are being highlighted as the key to driving improvements to achieve these goals. Their role has, however, been little evaluated in developing countries.
Public–private partnerships for health:
their main targets, their diversity, and their future directions
Roy Widdus, Public–Private Partnerships for Health, Global Forum for Health Research
Bulletin of the World Health Organization, August 2001, 79 (8)
A large variety of public–private partnerships, combining the skills and resources of a wide range of collaborators, have arisen for product development, disease control through product donation and distribution, or the general strengthening or coordination of health services. Administratively, such partnerships may either involve affiliation with international organizations, i.e. they are essentially public-sector programmes with private-sector participation, or they may be legally independent not-for-profit bodies. These partnerships should be regarded as social experiments; they show promise but are not a panacea. New ventures should be built on need, appropriateness, and lessons on good practice learnt from experience. Suggestions are made for public, private, and joint activities that could help to improve the access of poor populations to the pharmaceuticals and health services they need.
MALAWI SUSPENDS PRIVATIZATION PROGRAMME
Malawian authorities said Monday the countrys privatisation programme had been suspended for review following a cabinet decision early this month. "It's a moment of soul searching. We want to look back at what we have done and see whether we are in the right direction," Charles Msosa, principal secretary for privatisation, told AFP. Malawi has privatised 36 of its 100 loss-making parastatals since the program begun in 1995.
Public-private partnerships: illustrative examples
This background paper by Adetokunbo Lucas describes how collaboration between the public and private sectors can be productive and successful, providing opportunities to achieve goals that could not be achieved by either sector working alone.
Putting policy into practice: can local government cope?
Increasingly, the debate over private sector involvement in the delivery of urban water services is addressing pro-poor policies and transactions. Yet, improvements in policy are not being accompanied by support for implementation and little emphasis is being placed on how local governments will cope with such complex processes. What capacity do municipalities need to make policy frameworks work in practice? How do municipalities change from 'providers' to 'enablers' and 'promoters'? How do municipalities focus partnerships on the poor?
Why should governments serve the poor?
Is government responsible for ensuring public health? Is it necessary for public entities to deliver this public good? Who else might serve the unprofitable urban poor?
New Prepayment Schemes for Health in Rwanda
by Pia Schneider and Miriam Schneidman (August, 2000. Rwanda's prepayment schemes with large membership pools have become important interest groups. Besides improving members' access to quality care, in a post-genocide society, where the social fabric was seriously destroyed, the introduction of the mutual health schemes has the potential to rebuild trust and democratic processes.
WORK IT OUT OR WATCH IT DIE
Drastic change is needed to save SA\'s system of health care
The cost of private health care is rising so rapidly that it is in danger of becoming unaffordable to all but the wealthy. The punch-drunk public health sector is, however, failing to provide an alternative for the average salaried person. Everyone, from blue-collar workers to senior executives, is clamouring for more affordable, quality health care. A radical new deal is needed for the private and public sectors. New ways of delivering and funding health care must be created. Both sectors are on the ropes and are being forced to act.