BHS380 Module 4 SLP

Health Systems and Financing Strategies

Elizabeth Davis

Trident International University

Module 3 SLP

Dr. Michael Mucedola

September 16, 2020

Health Systems and Financing Strategies

Securing financial support for addressing global health issues is vital in bringing about sustainable improvement in a population’s health status. Additionally, understanding a specific country’s health system allows for more practical and feasible implementation or proposed solutions to global health challenges.

Based on your selected population from Module 2 SLP, summarize the structure of the health system:

1. What are gaps in the system that may contribute to the spread of the selected disease?

2. Recommend a strategy for addressing the selected disease within the structure of the health system.

3. What are some options for financing your strategy internally and globally?

Length: 2–3 pages (excluding the cover page and reference list), double-spaced.

Introduction

One of the major challenges of addressing health issues whether on a local level or global level is financing. Africa faces the same challenges when trying to address some of the population’s health issues. The challenge of securing financial support for addressing health problems in African countries has made it difficult to tackle some of the health problems. When Ebola virus attacked West African countries, it took a while before international financial support to be initiated to tackle the issue. West Africa region has countries that have been in war for years making it difficult for the countries finance health programs that will tackle the issues. According to Dieleman et al., (2019) low income countries depend on out of pocket assistance to handle some of their health problems. The health system in the West African countries is weak with previously countries allocating less than 15% of their annual budgets on health. There are more challenges facing the health system including lack of personnel and limited resources.

Gaps in Africa’s Health System

In 2001 African countries agreed to allocate at least 15% of their national budgets on health. According to Africa Renewal (2017) only six African countries have complied with this agreement with none of the West African countries that were heavily affected by the Ebola pandemic complying. The lack of investment in health care by the governments means that health programs have to rely in external financing which is usually hard to secure. The health programs developed to handle epidemics of diseases like tuberculosis; AIDS, malaria and other tropical diseases has to depend on external funding for them to be successful. Access to health care services is a major problem affecting the population. Access to health care services is a major problem for the sick because the health care system is underfunded, lacks the basic infrastructure to provide health services and a major deficit of health care workers Africa Renewal (2017).

Strategy for Addressing Ebola

The countries out to increase health and health care expenditure to 15% and above their Gross Domestic Product. This increase in health and health care expenditure will increase access to health for more of the population and reduce reliance on external finance. The major problems with the Ebola pandemic were the reliance on traditional healers because of the flaws of the current health system and outdated cultural practices. Investment in healthcare could ensure the implementation of programs that will sensitize the public through creating awareness on the issue. This will ensure cultural practices that encourage physical contact like burial practices and funeral rites are abolished to limit the spread.

Options for Financing

There are limited options for financing health strategies that can be used in eradicating a pandemic. The governments are the major sources of funding which can be direct to the programs created to create awareness. The governments can also improve the basic infrastructure while implementing policies that will benefit the people. Private funding through Non-Profit organizations and both public and private corporations is another option. This includes international corporations that will also provide other resources like skilled personnel and the technology to provide evidence based actions. Global organizations like the World Health Organization play a key role in controlling the spread of diseases. They are also an option for funding for programs as they provide both financial assistance and the required resources.

Conclusion

The health system of African countries faces the same issues in most of the African countries. There is a big funding gap as most of the government allocates less than 15% of their annual budgets on health and health care. Increased funding will ensure improvements of the basic infrastructure of the health facilities. This will also improve access to health as more trained health professionals will be employed.

References

Dieleman, J., Campbell, M., Chapin, A., Eldrenkamp, E., Fan, V. Y., Haakenstad, A., ... & Reynolds, A. (2017). Evolution and patterns of global health financing 1995–2014: development assistance for health, and government, prepaid private, and out-of-pocket health spending in 184 countries. The Lancet, 389(10083), 1981-2004.

Africa Renewal. (2017). Health care systems: time for a rethink. United Nations Department of Public Information. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/africarenewal/sites/www.un.org.africarenewal/files/Africa_Renewal_En_Dec2016_Mar2017_0.pdf