Wealthy governments trying to help develop drugs for poor counties have been slow to recognise the potential for public-private partnerships, according to the UK-based Pharmaceutical R&D Policy Group (PRPG). Since May 2004, the PRPG has been assessing different ways of funding drug development for 'neglected diseases' - such as malaria and sleeping sickness - that affect many people in poor countries but receive little attention from the global research community.
Public-Private Mix
Potential for public-private drug research 'untapped'
Pressure mounts on private health care in South Africa
With the dust not yet settled on the health department's bid to regulate medicine prices, another messy conflict over state regulation of private health care looms large. A decade-long attempt to provide a unified health system that includes both public and private sector providers took concrete form on Friday, when President Thabo Mbeki signed the long awaited National Health Bill into law. The move is set to spark loud protest from doctors and private hospital groups, anxious about clauses in the legislation designed to regulate their services.
Prevention of non-communicable diseases at the workplace in Tanzania
Malacela M and Mayige M: African Newsletter on Occupational Health and Safety 23 (2):41-43, August 2013
The focus in Tanzania has mainly been on communicable diseases, in particular HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria. Childhood illnesses, including diarrhoea and upper respiratory tract infections, have also received a great deal of attention. More recently, efforts have been directed towards neglected tropical diseases. However, the burden of communicable diseases is still high, so the increase in non-communicable diseases (NCD) creates a double burden to both individuals and the health system in general.The prevention of NCDs at the workplace is argued by the authors to require a multisectoral approach. The occupational health law (Occupational Health and Safety Act of 2003) in Tanzania stipulates that each employee undergo
a medical examination at enrolment. This could be expanded to include periodic examinations. Employers should push insurance companies to cover such examinations. Other options that could be useful are noted as the HIV committees already in place at workplaces. These structures could be used to also co-ordinate NCD prevention activities at workplaces.Another option could be to promote physical activity at the workplace through sports competitions, designated sports days or sports bonanzas. More advocacy is needed to raise the profile of the burden of NCDs and to bring them to the attention of policy-makers.
Primary Health Care: More Action Less Words please
Neo-liberal economic policies and World Bank/IMF inspired 'health reforms' being pushed through in developing countries have resulted in: Privatisation of public health services; The introduction of user fees for patients; Lack of public investment in state-run primary health care systems; and Lack of attention to leadership and management development for PHC. "All this has obviously also resulted in the overall deterioration in quality and equitable delivery of public health services and had a devastating effect on the ability of the poor to access health care," says a recent press release from the People's Health Movement (PHM). PHM has called for wider consultation between the World Health Organisation and civil society mem-
bers.
Further details: /newsletter/id/29775
Private aid for state hospitals
Parker F: Mail and Guardian, 22 February 2010
In a move that has already sparked controversy, the South African treasury is to draw private business into the public health sector as a way of upgrading the services provided by state hospitals. In his budget speech, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan referred to broadening the implementation of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the health sector to improve hospitals system as a “prerequisite for the introduction of a national health insurance system”. A flagship PPP project is proposed as Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Johannesburg, for which a feasibility study is now complete. However the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), the largest union in the country, has opposed PPPs as a vehicle for privatisation, which is argued to lead to higher costs, poorer services and the loss of jobs.
Private funding: An emerging trend in humanitarian donorship
Stoianova V: Global Humanitarian Assistance, April 2012
Private external funders (donors) are growing steadily more important to global aid, contributing one-quarter of the estimated US$73.9 billion spent on emergency assistance from 2006 to 2010, according to this report. Trusts, foundations, businesses and individuals are the main sources of private funding, with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) depend on these sources for 57% of their financial support, while UN agencies depend on it for only 8%. There are also wide variations: for example, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) gets roughly 90% of its funding from private sources but the Norwegian Refugee Council receives only 2%. While many agencies are courting private funders, the lack of tracking creates a significant information gap in both co-ordinating and evaluating this source of funds.
Private health care in developing countries
If it is to work, it must start from what users need
BMJ September, 2001 )
Three objectives are recommended in relation to the private provision of care for conditions of public health importance: widening access, improving quality, and ensuring non-exploitative prices. None of these will be simple to achieve; and multifaceted interventions, involving policymakers, providers, and users will be required. Increasingly service users (or "consumers") are being highlighted as the key to driving improvements to achieve these goals. Their role has, however, been little evaluated in developing countries.
Private Health Insurance Schemes in Africa
Health Systems Trust will be publishing a couple of chapters and indicators covering this area in the upcoming South African Health Review (2001) - but this will only be available at the end of March. Meanwhile you may wish to look at previous editions which also cover the topic.
Further details: /newsletter/id/29040
Private healthcare is ‘wasteful’
Culling K: Health-e News, 28 July 2014
Private healthcare is wasteful and over-dependent on hospitals, which makes it too expensive for a large group of working people to join medical schemes, Health-e news reports. As a result, scheme membership has stagnated at around 8,5 million people and is skewed towards older, sicker members. This was the assessment of healthcare consultant Dr Brian Ruff, speaking at the opening day of the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF), the group that represents medical schemes and administrators in South Africa. Ruff said that families with an income of R7000 to R12000 a month may be able to afford membership of around R300 a month, yet no medical scheme could provide such a cheap service.
Private hospital market flat - research
Visser A: BDlive: 10 March 2014
New research on market concentration of private hospitals, medical schemes and administrators is reported to show that contrary to concerns over growing concentration, the market for private hospitals in South Africa has in fact remained flat since 2003.