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<div class=Section1>

<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:7.5pt;background:white'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><a
href="http://www.oxfam.org.uk/resources/policy/health/bp125_blind_optimism.html">http://www.oxfam.org.uk/resources/policy/health/bp125_blind_optimism.html</a>
</span><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:7.5pt;background:white'><span
style='font-size:17.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Blind
Optimism</span><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:15.0pt;margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:8.25pt;margin-left:0in;background:white'><b><span
style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Challenging
the myths about private health care in poor countries</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:9.0pt;
background:white'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>The
realization of the right to health for millions of people in poor countries
depends upon a massive increase in health services to achieve universal and
equitable access. A growing number of international donors are promoting an
expansion of private-sector health-care delivery to fulfil this goal.</span><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:9.0pt;
background:white'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>The
private sector can play a role in health care. But this paper shows there is an
urgent need to reassess the arguments used in favor of scaling-up
private-sector provision in poor countries. The evidence shows that
prioritizing this approach is extremely unlikely to deliver health for poor
people.</span><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:9.0pt;
background:white'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Governments
and rich country donors must strengthen state capacities to regulate and focus
on the rapid expansion of free publicly provided health care, a proven way to
save millions of lives worldwide.</span><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:15.0pt;margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:8.25pt;margin-left:0in;background:white'><b><span
style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Some of
the key recommendations from this report are:</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:15.0pt;margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:8.25pt;margin-left:0in;background:white'><b><span
style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>For
donors</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3;background:white'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black'><span style='mso-list:
Ignore'>?<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>        
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>Rapidly increase funding for the expansion of free universal
public health-care provision in low-income countries, including through the
International Health Partnership. </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:15.0pt;margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:8.25pt;margin-left:0in;background:white'><b><span
style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>For
developing-country governments</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo6;background:white'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black'><span style='mso-list:
Ignore'>?<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>        
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>Resist donor pressure to implement unproven and unworkable market
reforms to public health systems and an expansion of private-sector
health-service delivery. </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:15.0pt;margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:8.25pt;margin-left:0in;background:white'><b><span
style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>For civil
society</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo9;background:white'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black'><span style='mso-list:
Ignore'>?<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>        
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>Act together to hold governments to account by engaging in policy
development, monitoring health spending and service delivery, and exposing
corruption. </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;background:white'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Date of publication:
February 2009 </span><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>

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