PHA-Exch> New Oxfam paper: 'Blind Optimism: Challenging the Myths about Private Health Care in Poor ,Countries'

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Vern Weitzel <vern.weitzel at gmail.com>
crosposted from: "[health-vn discussion group]" <health-vn at cairo.anu.edu.au>

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
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