PHA-Exch> New Oxfam paper

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: NHolden at oxfam.org.uk









Please find below a link to Oxfam International's new briefing paper, 'Blind
Optimism: Challenging the Myths about Private Health Care in Poor Countries'
by Anna Marriott.



In the past few years Oxfam has *found *a number of influential donors and
international organisations increasingly advocate for private sector health
care delivery as a solution to slow progress on health in poor countries.
Blind Optimism explores in depth the evidence available against a number of
arguments and assumptions made in favour of private sector health care
provision. It also looks to those developing countries that have achieved
significant successes in scaling up towards universal and equitable access
to health care and the policies they have pursued. It concludes that there
is very little empirical evidence in support of so-called private sector
solutions and that the potential risks of a greater role for the private
sector in health care delivery are largely ignored. At the same time
publicly delivered services, although far from perfect and often in need of
substantial reform and support, are at the heart of health services in poor
countries with higher performing, more pro-poor health systems.



In launching this new paper Oxfam is calling for a halt to the use of
unproven and risky policies that promote an expansion of the private sector
and threaten to undermine government capacity to deliver to those most in
need. At the same time governments must prioritise the rapid scaling-up of
free public provision of health services – the only proven route to achieve
health care for all.



http://www.oxfam.org/en/policy/bp125-blind-optimism



For All Essential Services Campaign, Oxfam International
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