International Health Policy Program

Objectives

The International Health Policy Program is a network of activities whose objectives is to strengthen national capacities for health policy analysis and reform. Its particular emphasis is on policies and reforms that permit the more effective use of resources to improve the health of the poor. It is supported by The Pew Charitable Trusts, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the World Bank . The World Bank and the World Health Organization provide technical guidance. The IHPP operates primarily by providing support to fourteen groups of analysts and policymakers in Africa and Asia.

Major Areas of Research

Since it's inception, the IHPP has been oriented toward resource issues of immediate relevance for effective, equity-oriented health policies. The range of issues covered has been deliberately broad to allow policymakers and analysts in the countries concerned a wide degree of latitude in selecting the issues most relevant to their situations.

The range of issues is modified periodically on the basis of the IHPP's experience and the changing concerns of policymakers and analysts in the Third World.

The current issues include:

• Allocation and Use of Health Program Resources
• Financing of Health Programs
• Contribution of NonGovernmental and Private Health Services
• Health Implications of Policies Outside the Health Sector
• Health Consequences of Individual Behavior
• Adoption and Implementation of Effective Health Policies

Training / Capacity Building

The IHPP's principal activity is providing support to Health Policy Analysis and Development Groups (HPADGs) in Africa and Asia. These groups work on resource issues they select from within the range indicated in the preceding section, based on the issues' importance for improving the health of the poor in their countries. HPADGs typically consist of four to six people. One or two are policymakers, usually but not necessarily from the ministry of health, whose active participation is designed to facilitate the use of the group's findings and recommendations.

The other members, primarily economists and other social or management scientists, are from research and academic institutions in the countries concerned. Most groups are based in development research institutes, university economics departments, schools of public health, or ministry policy and planning units.

The IHPP has also awarded a series of Career Development Fellowships designed to complement the activities of HPADGs. Twenty fellowships have been awarded, through an open international competition, in two rounds. The fellowship programs lasted up to two years and included both capacity enhancement and policy development activities. During the capacity enhancement phase, fellows were provided with an opportunity to learn more about the issues on which they had chosen to focus, usually through a period spent in an overseas academic or other professional institution. In the policy development stage, Fellows prepared analytical studies leading to recommendations for consideration by senior policymakers.

Activities / Financial / Technical Support

IHPP support to HPADGs is varied and includes:

• Financial Support for HPADG research
• Technical Assistance
• Arranging visiting fellowships at academic and professional institutions
• Site visits by resource persons
• Fostering of mentoring relationships, institutional linkages, as well as collaborative relationships among developing country academic, nongovernmental and governmental institutions
• Networking and electronic communication
• Dissemination of HPADG research and policy recommendations
• Facilitation of research report refinement
• Peer reviews
• Author workshops on policy paper development
• International meetings of IHPP participants and associates

Participating Countries

CHINA, INDONESIA, INDIA, PAKISTAN, PHILIPPINES, THAILAND, GHANA, KENYA, NIGERIA, TANZANIA and UGANDA.

Publications

1. Essential Drugs in Tanzania: The Development of the Essential Drugs Program and Implications for Self-Reliance in Tanzania -- Gaspar Munishi
2. Government Health Expenditures in an Indian State. Government Expenditure on Health in Andhra Pradesh since the 1980s: Has It Been Appropriate? -- Prasanta Mahapatra
3. Government Health Expenditures in India: Public Financing for Health in India: Recent Trends -- V.B. Tulasidhar
4. How Can Research Influence Health Policy? Reports from Policymakers in Three Countries: Ghana-Moses Adibo, India-Rajiv Misra, Philippines-Alfredo Bengzon
5. Private Health Care in India: The Private/Public Mix in Health Care in India -- Ramesh Bhat
6. User Charges in Kenya. Health Service Pricing Reforms in Kenya: 1989-93 -- Germano Mwabu & Joseph Wang'ombe

Contact

You can reach us by e-mail at: Tania Zaman, Program Administrator