Arguing the case for strengthening health systems.

Q: How has WHO's approach to strengthening health systems changed? A: We surveyed our stakeholders in WHO departments, the regions and governments early on. This showed us where we should be headed and reflected a reaction to the direction under the previous leadership. They wanted WHO's Evidence and Information for Policy cluster to address the need for measurement , financing or human resources for health systems as opposed to writing a paper which provides a conceptual framework and rather vague policy prescription. We want to make this cluster's work even more relevant to country offices and the regions by working closely with them on a shared strategy. Q: What are the main challenges involved in strengthening health systems? A: At the moment we have tremendous duplication and distortion in health systems. This is our main challenge. We are focusing on understanding health sector reforms, like decentralization, and the effect of vertical or single-disease programmes because these have important implications for the functioning of health systems as a whole. Vertical programmes are doing vital work providing interventions which may save lives It's not always easy persuading governments that first they need to strengthen their health systems before they can effectively fight epidemics like HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis that are devastating their countries. That was just one of the challenges Dr Timothy Evans took on when he became Assistant Director-General for the Evidence and Information for Policy cluster of WHO last year. One of the first things the Canadian physician and economist did was to gather feedback on how effectively the cluster is addressing Member States' needs and how effectively his team works with WHO regions and other WHO departments. Drawing on six years as Director of Health Equity at the Rockefeller Foundation, Dr Evans and his team have established good links with the regions and helped to put the need for stronger health systems more centrally on the global health agenda. One year into the job, Dr Evans has given WHO's information strategy a new direction. " I think we are doing reasonably well, " he told the Bulletin. In this interview, Dr Evans talks about the challenges WHO faces in trying to strengthen health systems, which areas need urgent attention and why information has taken on an important significance in international public health. or prevent illness, but in order for the health system to deliver those interventions you must address …