Reader on Health Policy and Systems Research
Launch of the First Reader on Health Policy and Systems Research: “Health Policy and Systems Research: A Methodology Reader”
Strong health policies and strong health systems are needed to deliver effectively critical health interventions to populations. Health systems also represent an important base for action to tackle the social determinants of health and address health inequity. Indeed, health systems are part of the fabric of every society, and contribute to human development. Health policy and systems research (HPSR) is needed to generate the intelligence required to sustain health systems development.
However, Health Policy and Systems Research is often criticized for lacking rigour, being unclear in its scope and nature, providing a weak basis for generalization of its findings and therefore offering limited value for decision-makers. To address these concerns the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research is pleased to launch the first ever Reader: Health Policy and Systems Research: A Methodology Reader. This Reader aims to provide a basis of understanding, ideas and experience to strengthen the quality of HPSR – including a collection of high quality papers that demonstrate the application of different HPSR strategies and methods.
Edited by Lucy Gilson of the University of Cape Town and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, this publication provides guidance on the defining features of HPSR and the critical steps in conducting research in this field. It showcases the diverse range of research strategies and methods encompassed by HPSR.
Professor Anne Mills, one of the leading experts in this field states: “Health Policy and Systems Research is a rapidly developing and critically important field of health research, but has lacked any coherent presentation of its nature, scope and methods. This Reader remedies this gap, and will be an indispensable source of guidance for anyone conducting Health Policy and Systems Research or wishing to learn about it.”
The target audience for the Reader includes researchers, teachers and students, as well as those working within health systems, and particularly those working in low-and middle-income countries.
The Reader is available electronically on the Alliance web site: http://www.who.int/alliance-hpsr/resources/reader.
Limited editions of printed copies for teaching and training institutions in low- and middle-income countries are available upon request from the Alliance Secretariat. (alliancehpsr<mailto:alliancehpsr>)
Kindly download the book from the following link:http://www.who.int/alliance-hpsr/resources/reader.