Health policy and planning
-
To investigate the availability of essential medicines and their prices in Hubei province. ⋯ The survey revealed low procurement prices but poor availability in the public sector. Various policy adjustments could increase the availability of essential medicines and reduce their prices for the low income population.
-
In recent years there have been innovations in immunization financing and new technologies, and the scaling up of investment by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) in the Asia region. The main mechanism for coordination of this global health initiative (GHI) investment is country-level 'Inter-Agency Coordination Committees' (ICCs). ⋯ There are high levels of institutional and contextual complexity at country level that require a more focused global response by GAVI to the governance challenges of institutions and partners implementing GHIs at the country level. ICCs should be maintained and strengthened in the more pluralistic context of an 'immunization coordination system' that is represented by the wider health sector, regulatory authorities, and civil society and private sector interests. Managing through systems, rather than being over-reliant on committees, will broaden participation in implementation and, in doing so, expand the reach of immunization and maternal and child health care services in developing countries.