Background The rising burden of disease and weak health systems are being compounded by the persistent economic downturn, re-emerging diseases, and violent conflicts. There is a growing recognition that the global health agenda needs to shift from an emphasis on disease-specific approaches to strengthening of health systems, including dealing with social, environmental, and economic determinant...

Burundi recently introduced two fundamental reforms to its health system: a district health system (DHS) and performance-based financing (PBF) of the healthcare facilities. The authors of this article set out to conduct a simultaneous trial on implementation of DHS and PBF. The assessment refers to the six building blocks of health systems proposed by the WHO, and demonstrates that PBF can eith...

The oral health education system is in need of major reform! This is especially apparent in university-based education for the health professions. So-called preclinical as well as clinical education simply has not kept pace with or been responsive enough to shifting patient demographics and patient/population desires and expectations, changing health system expectations, evolving interdisciplin...

Background and Aim: The health financing system is "the process of collecting, pooling and managing financial resources and purchasing healthcare services”. Iran's health financing system is facing challenges. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Iranian health financing system.         Materials and Methods: This descriptive study retrospectively evaluated the health financing system of...

BACKGROUND In India, the process of decentralization of health services started taking shape in the mid-1990s. Systemic reforms envisaged delegation of administrative and financial responsibilities at district level for management of health-care institutions in 23 states of India in 1999. Subsequently, some of these reforms became part of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) launched in 200...

China is the most populated country in the world and one of the countries with the fastest economic growth over the past three decades. Inequity in health has arisen as a large concern for Chinese society. A new round of health system reforms was initiated by the government in early 2009, aiming to establish a health system in which all people can access basic health care through an equitable, ...

The new reforms of health systems in Latin American countries began in the 1990s as part of wider state reforms, promoted by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. In Colombia, the new system called National Social Security System for Health (Sistema Nacional de Seguridad Social en Salud, SNSSS) was defined by the Law number 100, approved in 1993 by the Congress. Its regulation is unde...

■ The high prevalence of serious and complex behavioral health needs among the children and families served by the child welfare system. Children in the child welfare system tend to be extremely vulnerable and are at high risk for health, mental health, and d e v e l o p m e n t a l problems. For children placed in foster care, the trauma of separation from their families and the experience of ...