East Asia and Pacific
Public stewardship of private providers in mixed health systems: Synthesis report from the Rockefeller Foundation-sponsored initiative on the role of private sector in health systems
The context, challenges and strategies for the stewardship of mixed health systems
Authors:
G Lagomarsino; S Nachuk; S Singh Kundra
Publisher:
Results for Development Institute, 2009
In low-resource settings, a mix of public and private health providers are needed in order to ensure that health services are available to meet the needs of a population. This report from the Results for Development Institute highlights that the study of the provision of health care is a complex issue. The focus of this report is to highlight the need for quality and accessible health services; not to make a case for one actor over the other, or to quantify the mix of available providers.
This report is written to provide practitioners with an overview of current perpectives including:
• The mix of providers operating in the health sector
• Challenges in effectively regulating the private sector
• Current approaches to stewardship in the health sector.
The authors highlight that an understanding of the plurality of health providers working within the health system is key to the regulation of providers. It addresses the challenges and missed opportunities that can be occur as a result of a lack of regulation of private providers. Policies and innovative mechanisms for stewardship are also discussed but their suitability for health systems in developing countries requires further examination.
