The following opinion pieces are part of Devex’s new #HealthyMeans series examining ideas to advance global health outcomes.

Devex: For-profit health care: Eliminate, tolerate or stimulate?
Marty Finnegan, a consultant focused on building and strengthening social enterprises

“…Policy choices range from eliminating the involvement of the private sector in health care to stimulating it as a contributor to universal coverage. … In my view, a better solution is to embrace and stimulate for-profit health care in two ways: first, by recognizing its role and then acting to improve its reach and performance. Secondly, by understanding corporate strengths and adapting them for the public health care system…” (10/27).

Devex: Building on the microcredit platform for better child health
Valerie Flax, research assistant professor of nutrition at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

“…Two ways to efficiently reach out to a large number of women on breastfeeding are through microfinance programs and cellphone messages. … By building innovative face-to-face and mobile health components onto a microcredit program, we can spread messages to women in the groups and their friends and neighbors, greatly broadening the impact…” (10/28).

Devex: The next big challenge: From new ideas to greater health outcomes
Eliza Villarino, senior news producer at Devex

“…Today, quite a number of medicines, health diagnostics, and delivery mechanisms are lagging behind their potential. … Scaling up new ideas in global health is a challenging venture. It requires leadership, funding and buy-in from a variety of stakeholders, from patients to providers, from the public to the private sector. Cross-sector partnerships can facilitate the process, but there’s no silver bullet to sustainably scaling up new ideas in global health…” (10/27).

The KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report summarized news and information on global health policy from hundreds of sources, from May 2009 through December 2020. All summaries are archived and available via search.

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