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Policy brief: Access to assistive technology

WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO)
2020

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This brief is for policy-makers in any ministry involved in designing assistive technology policies and programmes (such as ministries of health, finance and social welfare), especially those involved in designing universal health coverage programmes. It is also relevant for all stakeholders working in these areas. The brief highlights key challenges in ensuring equitable access to high-quality, affordable assistive technology and suggests actions to improve access within universal health coverage or any other national health/welfare programme.

Public financing for health in Africa: from Abuja to the SDGs

BARROY, Helene
VAN DE MAELE, Nathalie
MUSANGO, Laurent
HSU, Justine
et al
2016

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"This report takes stock of the main public financing for health trends over the past fifteen years in the African region, and highlights opportunities for accelerated progress toward universal health coverage (UHC) based on better-informed budget planning and utilization decisions. The report presents new evidence on the critical role played by domestic public financial management systems on the level, effectiveness and quality of public spending on health in Africa. It argues that these systems should be reconsidered if countries are to move towards UHC. Country experience in reforming public finance systems to support progress towards UHC indicates that success depends on more than simply increasing the level of public budgets. Rather, it requires appropriately targeted health budget allocations, complete execution of health’s public budgets, and improved efficiency in the use of public resources for health.

The report is composed of three sections. The first section is articulated around three policy highlights: aligning budget resources and health priorities; closing the gap between health budget allocation and expenditure; and maximizing UHC performance with the money available. Section 2 is dedicated to providing detailed health financing information on countries, and includes 48 country profiles focused on key health financing trends. The last section includes information on progress towards the development of health financing strategies in the region, as well as regional and country benchmarks on key health financing indicators"

WHO/HIS/HGF/Tech.Report/16.2

The labour market for human resources for health in low and middle-income countries

SCHEFFLER, Richard
BRUCKNER, Tim
SPETZ, Joanne
July 2012

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This paper provides an introduction to the terms and tools of labour market analysis and connects these labour market principles to real-world case studies from LMIC. Three examples are provided of issues: workforce shortage in Thailand; unfilled posts in Kenya; and ghost workers in Rwanda. The labour market for health workers is considered and an integrated framework is provided. The technical structure and dynamics of the health worker market is discussed and applied to the first two examples. Task shifting, health worker performance and health worker productivity are also discussed.

Human Resources for Health Observer, No. 11

World health statistics 2010

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
2010

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This annual compilation of health-related data for the World Health Organization's 193 member states, includes a summary of the progress made towards achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and associated targets

Medicines : corruption and pharmaceuticals

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
December 2009

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This fact sheet gives a brief overview of the key facts regarding corruption in the pharmaceutical supply chain. It focuses on unethical practices in the medicines supply chain, factors contributing to pharmaceutical corruption, the impact of corruption, and the response of the WHO

The Lancet : essential medicines out of reach of most people

HEALTH ACTION INTERNATIONAL (HAI)
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
December 2008

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The lead article of this edition of the WHO and HAI medicines pricing survey quarterly bulletin picks up on an article published in the Lancet which highlights the financial burden faced by many people living in low and middle income countries when having to pay for essential medicines

UN MDG gap task force report

HEALTH ACTION INTERNATIONAL (HAI)
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
September 2008

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Making essential medicines more affordable and more widely available are essential in helping to meet the millennium development goals. The lead article of this edition of HAI and WHO's medicines pricing survey bulletin, looks at UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon's response to a mid-term progress report from the MDG Gap Task Force

Measuring medicine prices, availability, affordability and price components

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
HEALTH ACTION INTERNATIONAL (HAI)
2008

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This manual is to help governments, civil society groups and others concerned about the prices of medicines to collect and analyse: medicine prices (patient prices and government procurement prices) across sectors and regions in a country; medicine availability; treatment affordability; and all price components in the supply chain from manufacturer to patient (taxes, mark-ups etc.). It is accompanied by a CD-ROM which contains a more extensive collection resources and tools, such as sample training materials, frequently asked questions, and a report template for use in developing national survey reports

Closing the gap in a generation : health equity through action on the social determinants of health|Final report of the Commission on the Social Determinants of Health

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
2008

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This is the final report of the World Health Organization’s Commission on the Social Determinants of Health (2005-2008). The report gives three main recommendations: 1 improve daily living conditions 2. Tackle the inequitable distribution of power, money, and resources 3. Measure and understand the problem and assess the impact of action. The Commission was created to provide evidence on policies that improve health by addressing the social conditions in which people live and work. The report is addressed to WHO, national governments, civil society, and other global organizations

Guidelines on policies that affect medicine prices

HEALTH ACTION INTERNATIONAL (HAI)
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION(WHO)
2008

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At a time when over 50 medicines pricing surveys had been completed around the world using the HAI/WHO methodology, the lead article to this edition of the medicines pricing survey bulletin considers the need for guidelines to assist in the creation of policy changes that will help to reduce the price of essential medicines

The Kampala declaration and agenda for global action

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
GLOBAL HEALTH WORKFORCE ALLIANCE
2008

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This resource contains both the Kampala declaration and an agenda for global action to "guide the initial steps in a coordinated global, regional and national response to the worldwide shortage and mal-distribution of health workers, moving towards universal access to quality health care and improved health outcomes. It is meant to unite and intensify the political will and commitments necessary for significant and effective actions to resolve this crisis, and to align efforts of all stakeholders at all levels around solutions"

World health report 2008|Primary health care : now more than ever

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
2008

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This report considers four sets of reforms that reflect a convergence between the values of primary health care, the expectations of citizens and the common health performance challenges that cut across all contexts. These include: universal coverage reforms, service delivery reforms, public policy reforms, and leadership reforms. "While universally applicable, these reforms do not constitute a blueprint or a manifesto for action. The details required to give them life in each country must be driven by specific conditions and contexts, drawing on the best available evidence"

Focus on pricing policies : EMRO ministers confront high prices

HEALTH ACTION INTERNATIONAL (HAI)
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
2007

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The focus of this edition of HAI and WHO's bulletin for medicines prices surveys is a meeting of the regional committee of the WHO's Eastern Mediterranean region (EMRO) at which the results of 11 medicines pricing surveys carried out in the region were compared and discussed and it was decided to share information regionally

Medicine prices surveys and proposed interventions to improve sustainable access to affordable medicines in 6 sub-Saharan African countries|Etudes des prix des medicaments et interventions proposeees pur ameliorer durablement l'acces aux medicaments dan

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
2006

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This document brings together the outcomes of six surveys into medicine prices - for Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Tanzania, Chad and Uganda - and one for the East African Community (Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania) . The reports for Mali and Chad are written in French and the others in English

Price, availability and affordability : an international comparison of chronic disease medicines

GELDERS, Susanne
et al
2006

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This is an analysis of the data collected in recent surveys of originator and generic medicines used to treat chronic diseases, and demonstrates that the price, availability and affordability are optimal for neither product types in most of the countries surveyed. The report is intended to be used by policy-makers and programme managers responsible for pricing, price regulation, procurement and other regulatory affairs related to chronic diseases, and can also be used for civil society groups wanting to advocate for pricing policies to make medicines more affordable and available

Health and the Millennium Development Goals

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
2005

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The report presents data on progress on the health goals and targets. It looks beyond the numbers to analyse why improvements in health have been slow and to suggest what must be done to change this. The report points to weak and inequitable health systems as a key obstacle, including particularly a crisis in health personnel and the urgent need for sustainable health financing

Remuneration guidelines for non-voluntary use of a patent on medical technologies

WEISSMAN, Robert
Ed
2005

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This document provides guidelines for determining reasonable royalties or adequate remuneration for the manufacture or sale of medicines. The emphasis is on patent systems easy to administer and not overly complex, setting royalty levels that should not prevent access to medicines. The document includes an overview of WTO TRIPS provisions, examples of royalty setting, considerations for developing a policy framework for remuneration and non-voluntary use of patents on medicines, royalty guidelines and an evaluation of the Medical Innovation Prize Fund system of remuneration. This document is primarily aimed at policy makers and national governments

Health care systems in transition : Estonia

JESSE, Maris
EUROPEAN OBSERVATORY ON HEALTH SYSTEMS AND POLICIES
2004

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"The Health Care Systems in Transition (HiT) profiles are country-based reports that provide an analytical description of a health care system and of reform initiatives in progress or under development. The HiTs are a key element of the work of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. HiTs seek to provide relevant comparative information to support policy-makers and analysts in the development of health care systems in Europe." Contents: 1. Introduction and historical background 2. Organizational structure and management 3. Health care financing and expenditure 4. Health care delivery system 5. Financial resource allocation 6. Health care reforms

Medicine prices : a new approach to measurement

HEALTH ACTION INTERNATIONAL (HAI)
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
2003

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This manual describes a new approach to measuring the prices people have to pay for a selection of important medicines in different medicine outlets. The manual also describes how to collect information on price composition (taxes, mark-ups, fees) and assess the affordability and availability of medicines

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