New Policy in Focus Magazine Highlights Health Care Challenges and Innovations across the Global South

By IPC-IG

                                                         

 

Brasília, 3 August, 2016 –  Promoting healthy lives and well-being for all is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda.  The SDG number 3 recognizes the interdependence of development and health, and includes targets to “end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases”, and to “achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all”.

The recognition that universal access to health care and to medicines has an impact on poverty and social inclusion has led to the formulation and implementation of diverse interventions to improve the provision, access and quality of health services and products. Aiming at sparking new debates about points of convergence between the promotion of health care, inclusive growth, and development more broadly the new edition of the IPC-IG’s Policy in Focus magazine highlights health care challenges and innovations across the Global South.

The latest issue titled "Health policy in emerging economies: innovations and challenges" features 16 inspiring articles that revolve around the challenges facing the construction of public policies and interventions towards greater equity, a pressing issue on the global health agenda.

This issue focuses on developing countries that have exhibited significant progress across various health indicators. It is divided into four thematic sections, comprising four articles each: the first presents general aspects of health systems and policies determining the nature and quality of health services on offer by the public health systems of developing countries in Latin America and the BRICS; the second focuses on analysing challenges and policies related to containment measures for epidemics; the third discusses specific policies for more equitable access to medicines, tackling issues such as price control and intellectual property rights, among others; finally, the fourth section presents articles on the potential use of telemedicine initiatives across various health areas.

This special edition is the result of a collaboration between the IPC-IG and the Brazilian Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz). It is available for download in PDF here and smartphone/tablet-friendly formats.