Health Systems & Reform Journal

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Takemi Program, we are launching a special issue focused on digital health on Monday, October 21. This issue features articles by Takemi Fellows, their colleagues, and global experts who are friends of the program. The papers explore five key predictions about digital technology's impact on healthcare delivery, proposed in the 2019 commentary "Digital Technology and the Future of Health Systems" by Marc Mitchell and Lena Kan: ▪ Universal access to Internet-based information ▪ Digital support for health workers ▪ Shift towards home-based healthcare ▪ Revolutionary changes in transportation and logistics management Data-centric health systems Stay tuned for these insightful articles on the future of digital health! 🚀

Dive into Heidi West, Alexander Lawton, MPH, Shamim Hossain, A. H. M. Golam Mustafa, Abdur Razzaque, and Randall Kuhn's analysis on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among temporary foreign workers from Bangladesh! Their study reveals a generally low level of vaccine hesitancy, while emphasizing crucial factors influencing it, including host country, undocumented status, COVID-19 threat perception, and fear of side effects. Explore their insights into the structural vulnerabilities contributing to hesitancy by reading the full article here: https://bit.ly/3J6vYGT

Discover the dynamics of health inequality in South Africa through the lens of income and race! Using data from three nationally representative datasets, Caryn Bredenkamp, Ronelle Burger, Alyssa Jourdan, and Eddy Van Doorslaer examined trends in life expectancy (LE) and health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE) since the turn of the millennium. The study reveals significant fluctuations in (HA)LE at age five, with a notable decline between 2001 and 2007, followed by a rebound to levels exceeding those of 2001 by 2016. The study highlights how disparities related to income and race have consistently advantaged wealthier and non-black South Africans across all years examined. Additionally, while race-related inequalities in (HA)LE narrowed from 2007 to 2016, income-related inequalities expanded. Delve into the article and discover the relevance of the HIV epidemic and the roll-out of antiretrovirals for understanding these findings! Find it here: https://bit.ly/3POTwUC

Delve into the factors that enabled the adoption of the SSB tax in South Africa! Using the Kingdon Multiple Streams Theory, Petronell Kruger, Safura Abdool Karim, Aviva Tugendhaft, and Susan Goldstein analyzed the agenda setting, policy adoption, and implementation journey. Key factors contributing to the triumph include: 📈 Pre-existing awareness of the evidence of rising obesity rates and its link to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) by health authorities, media, and policymakers. 💡 The tax emerged as a viable and acceptable solution. It was first proposed by the Minister of Finance in his 2016 budget speech. 👍 Positive sentiment toward the SSB tax outweighed negativity, even amidst concerns about job loss. Mitigation strategies such as exempting low-sugar content (4 mg) and fruit/vegetable juices from taxation were implemented. Uncover the intricate details of agenda setting and post-tax landscape in the full article! Find it here: https://bit.ly/49gzUzn

South Korea is one of the few countries that has successfully consolidated its national risk pools into a single-payer health insurance system. In their recent article, Green Bae, Minah Kang and Michael R. Reich examine the different stages that enabled this transformation from 1980 to 2003. Using stakeholder analysis, they reveal how South Korea set the agenda and adopted policy measures to successfully merge risk pools. The study highlights how democratization and shifting political landscapes progressively enabled the formation of a single-payer system - a crucial step towards Universal Health Coverage. The full article is available here:  https://bit.ly/3T9hQ5b

Senegal initiated departmental-level community-based health insurance (CBHI) in 2014 due to the failure of smaller-scale municipal CBHIs, which had low coverage and inadequate management. In 2022 the country launched a campaign to disseminate the model. Using a mixed-methods approach, valéry ridde, Mouhamadou Faly Ba, Babacar Kane, Anouk Chouaïd and adama faye analyzed the stakeholders' perspectives on scaling up this model, highlighting the challenges and factors for successful implementation. The study participants identified 125 factors necessary for the success of the transition, categorized into clusters. Swipe to discover some of their key findings! Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/3N5BXxJ

Explore this comprehensive study assessing the level of adherence to standard guidelines in postpartum care for women with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDPs) in Nigeria! Lawal Oyeneyin, mni, Salisu Ishakub, Onyebuchi Azubuiked, Innocent Agbob, Lamaran Dattijoe, Aminu Baffahe, Gbenga Kayodec, Olorunfemi Owag, Patience Odusoluh, Karima Tunaui, Jamilu Tukurj, Charlotte Warrenk, Hannifa Abubakarl, Abdulkarim Musa, Arie Franxn, Diederick Grobbeec, and Joyce Browne, found that, overall, only 58% and 44% of indicators were adhered to among all HDP and PE/E-specific indicators, respectively. Read the full article for detailed findings and their policy implications: https://bit.ly/43gdCMJ

China's zero-COVID strategy lasted an impressive three years. In their recent study, Bingqing Guo and Karen Grépin examine how China's administrative accountability system influenced this prolonged adherence. Using interrupted time series analysis, they explore both direct and spillover effects on provinces' COVID-19 responses. The research builds on the political promotion tournament model, investigating how career incentives shaped local officials' actions during the pandemic. Swipe to discover their key findings! Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/47WonGr

In 2020, China's National Healthcare Security Administration expanded the centralized procurement program to include high-value medical consumables like coronary stents. Researchers Weiyan Jian, Shanshan Huo, Lanyue Zhang, and Wuping Zhou studied the impact of this program on treatment costs and patterns for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients. They discovered that the centralized procurement initiative not only lowered procurement prices, but also reduced the excessive use of costly medical products such as coronary stents. Explore their findings in depth here: https://bit.ly/3KYGTDy

Explore the insights shared by Elina Dale, Julia Novak, Denys Dmytriiev, Olga Demeshko, and Jarno Habicht regarding the effectiveness, obstacles, and required adjustments of Primary Health Care #PHC in Ukraine amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and war. Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/3VIv7mX