Volume : VIII, Issue : VIII, August - 2018

Politics of Policy Making in Health Reforms

Prof. Manoj Kar

Abstract :

 Politicsisessentially, arealityforPublichealthpolicymakers,whichistoooftenignoredbypublichealthadvocatesandresearchersalike.Thelimitedliteratureonpoliticsofhealthsectorreformspointstotheattenuationofmuchreformduetothespecificconstellationofinterestsanddistributionofcostsandbenefits,withtheformeroftenconcentratedandfallingonwell–organizedinterestgroupswhilethelatteraredistributedwidelyacrossthepoorandlargelyunorganizedpotentialbeneficiaries.Despitethegloomyprospectiveforpro–poor,evidence–informedhealthsectorreform,successispossible,ifmore attentionispaidtomanagingthepoliticsofthe health policy making process.The overarching challenges of achieving goals of “Health for All” using “Primary Health Care” approach to the transitional challenges of achieving “Millennium Development Goals” and “Sustainable Development Goals” through “Health Systems Strengthening” using “Universal Health Coverage” approach calls for strategic shift in decision taking Politics and determining Political influence in creating a ‘Healthy Public Policy’ remains as much of the untouched areas of interdisciplinary research in making Health Reforms as functioning strategically. ‘‘Broad reforms inhealth sectorarepossiblewhenthereis sufficientpoliticalwillandwhenchanges tohealthsectoraredesignedandimplementedby capableplannersandmanagers”.  Thisarticlediscussesmajortheoreticaldimensionsofpoliticsinhealthpolicy makingindevelopingcountriesandprovidesexamplesofcommonissuesthathaveemergedinwider evidence on studyofpoliticsofpublichealthpolicyreform.Thearticledoesnotprofesstocoverallofmanywaysthatpoliticsaffectspublichealthpoliciesand,inparticular,omitsthesocialmedicineliteraturethatcentresonrolethatpoliticsandpoliticalregimesplayasadeterminantofhealthstatus.Althoughthere isclearlyoverlap,the focusisratheronanalysisofpoliticsofpublichealthpolicymakingandimplementationindevelopingcountriesandhowtheseanalyseshavebeenusedto improvefeasibilityanddurabilityofpro–poor publichealthpolicies.Articleconcludes withanoverviewoftheoreticalapproachestounderstandingpoliticaldimensionsofpublichealthpolicy making.Politicsisessentially, arealityforPublichealthpolicymakers,whichistoooftenignoredbypublichealthadvocatesandresearchersalike.Thelimitedliteratureonpoliticsofhealthsectorreformspointstotheattenuationofmuchreformduetothespecificconstellationofinterestsanddistributionofcostsandbenefits,withtheformeroftenconcentratedandfallingonwell–organizedinterestgroupswhilethelatteraredistributedwidelyacrossthepoorandlargelyunorganizedpotentialbeneficiaries.Despitethegloomyprospectiveforpro–poor,evidence–informedhealthsectorreform,successispossible,ifmore attentionispaidtomanagingthepoliticsofthe health policy making process. The overarching challenges of achieving goals of “Health for All” using “Primary Health Care” approach to the transitional challenges of achieving “Millennium Development Goals” and “Sustainable Development Goals” through “Health Systems Strengthening” using “Universal Health Coverage” approach calls for strategic shift in decision taking Politics and determining Political influence in creating a ‘Healthy Public Policy’ remains as much of the untouched areas of interdisciplinary research in making Health Reforms as functioning strategically. ‘‘Broad reforms inhealth sectorarepossiblewhenthereis sufficientpoliticalwillandwhenchanges tohealthsectoraredesignedandimplementedby capableplannersandmanagers”.Thisarticlediscussesmajortheoreticaldimensionsofpoliticsinhealthpolicy makingindevelopingcountriesandprovidesexamplesofcommonissuesthathaveemergedinwider evidence on studyofpoliticsofpublichealthpolicyreform.Thearticledoesnotprofesstocoverallofmanywaysthatpoliticsaffectspublichealthpoliciesand,inparticular,omitsthesocialmedicineliteraturethatcentresonrolethatpoliticsandpoliticalregimesplayasadeterminantofhealthstatus.Althoughthere isclearlyoverlap,the focusisratheronanalysisofpoliticsofpublichealthpolicymakingandimplementationindevelopingcountriesandhowtheseanalyseshavebeenusedto improvefeasibilityanddurabilityofpro–poor publichealthpolicies.Articleconcludes withanoverviewoftheoreticalapproachestounderstandingpoliticaldimensionsofpublichealthpolicy making.

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Article: Download PDF   DOI : 10.36106/ijar  

Cite This Article:

Prof.Manoj Kar, Politics of Policy Making in Health Reforms, INDIAN JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH : Volume-8 | Issue-8 | August-2018

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