PHM-Exch> Attacking Inequality in the Health Sector - A Synthesis of Evidence and Tools

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Ruggiero, Mrs. Ana Lucia (WDC) <ruglucia at paho.org>
crossposted from: EQUIDAD at listserv.paho.org


 *Attacking Inequality in the Health Sector - A Synthesis of Evidence and
Tools**
*

*Abdo S. Yazbeck*

*The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank
– 2009

*



Available online as PDF file [336p.] at:
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTPAH/Resources/Publications/YazbeckAttackingInequality.pdf

 Coming from where this comes, it will be interesting to see what the book
has to say. Anybody volunteering to review?   Claudio

 “……The overwhelming evidence of inequalities in health outcomes and in the
use of health services calculated and disseminated by the World Bank and
other development agencies in the last 10 years has energized global efforts
to address the needs of the poor and socially vulnerable. These efforts have
led to a renewed interest at the global and national levels in both
understanding the causes of health sector inequalities and developing
policies to tackle them. It is time to synthesize the new knowledge being
generated from research and experimentation on addressing inequality.



The main purpose of this book is to make available the accumulated knowledge
of successful policy and analytical tools in this fight to reverse the
vicious circle of income-poverty and ill health. The book presents both a
practical set of analytical tools for understanding the causes of inequality
in the use of health services and a menu of proven pro-poor policy actions.
It is based on the evaluation of 14 successful policy changes in low- and
middle-income countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and a review of
the published literature on inequality in the health sector.



As this book shows, however, policy answers are neither easy nor uniform. We
now have ample evidence about the levels of inequality in more than 50 low-
and middle-income countries. We know which outcomes and which services show
the highest levels of inequality. We have proven analytical tools for
understanding the causes of service use inequality.



Most important, we have evaluations of experiences from countries designing
and implementing pro-poor polices that are having measurable success. This
book puts all this knowledge in one place. The next challenge is turning
this knowledge into further action in the global effort to reduce poverty….”



            *Content:*

*1. An Unacceptable Reality*

*A Light at the End of the Tunnel: A New Way to Measure Inequalities *

*Not a Pretty Picture *

*Health Sector May Exacerbate Inequality *

*The Misallocation of Public Spending on Health *

*Presenting Inequality Data *

*Annex 1.1 Asset Index as a Measure of Relative Wealth *

*Annex 1.2 Health, Nutrition, and Population Inequality Data *

*Annex 1.3 Benefit Incidence Analysis *

*Annex 1.4 Recommendations for Further Reading *

*Notes *

*2. Approaching a Complex and Persistent Problem *

*Pathways to Good Health *

*The Binding Constraints Faced by the Poor *

*The Blind Spots of the Health Sector *

*Health Sector Finance and the Poor *

*Moving Forward *

*Annex 2.1 Summary of the Multisectoral Determinants of Health *

*Annex 2.2 Recommendations for Further Reading *

*Notes *

*3. The Importance of “Listening” *

*The Views of Leaders from Low- and Middle-Income Countries*

*The Dilemmas Posed by the Long List of Causes*

*Listening Is Critical*

*Combining Active and Passive Listening: Immunization in India *

*Advanced Analytical Techniques*

*Eight Steps to Effective Use by the Poor *

*Following the Money: Tools for Analyzing the Role of Resource Allocations
and Financing in Inequality *

*An Analytical Checklist *

*Annex 3.1 Data Sources and Their Limitations *

*Annex 3.2 Beneficiary Assessment *

*Annex 3.3 Recommendations for Further Reading *

*Notes *

*4. A Menu of Pro-Poor Policies *

*Hope *

*Recurring Themes *

*Rules of Thumb *

*Annex 4.1 Accountability Framework *

*Annex 4.2 Recommendations for Further Reading *

*Note *

*5. Brazil, Filling the Cracks in Universal Coverage

*

*6. Cambodia: Contracting with Nongovernmental Organizations to Serve the
Poor *

* **7. Cambodia: Health Equity Fund for the Poor *

* **8. Chile: Integrated Services Program for the Poor

*

*9. Colombia: Expanding Health Insurance for the Poor

*

*10. India: Community-Based Health Care Services

*

*11. Indonesia: Health Cards for the Poor

*

*12. Kenya: Expanding Immunization Reach through Campaigns

*

*13. The Kyrgyz Republic: Health Financing Reform and the Poor

*

*14. Mexico: Paying the Poor to Use Health Services

*

*15. Mexico: Providing Subsidized Health Insurance to the Poor

*

*16. Nepal: Participatory Planning

*

*17. Rwanda: Community-Based Health Insurance

*

*18. Tanzania: Social Marketing for Malaria Prevention

*

*19 Vigilance *

*What to Monitor *

*Other Elements of Monitoring Frameworks *

*Annex 19.1 Recommendations for Further Reading *

*Note *

References

Index
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