Global Health Watch 1 in one file

5 To make health care systems more equitable and effective, both
the geographic and social distance between health professionals
and communities must be shortened.
that is geared towards academic publications. However, health systems and
management research needs to become more embedded in health management
and planning activities and not run as a parallel activity. Policy makers
and health managers should lead the development of research agendas more
than they do at present. There is also a need to invest more in the development
of health information and disease surveillance, and the capacity and time for
staff of public health care systems to conduct their own research.
appropriate timeframes In many countries with urgent health needs,
longer timeframes are needed to plan, implement, integrate and sustain
health efforts. Today, timeframes set by international agencies and donors
are often unrealistic and too short. They can lead to, for example, an overdependence
on top-down vertical approaches rather than approaches that
simultaneously build the longer-term capacity and sustainability of health care
systems. The frequent changing of international priorities and the short-term
funding cycles of donors also needs to change towards adopting realistic and
sustainable timeframes.
Political and social mobilization Those living in urban areas (especially the
more affluent) and the higher levels of the medical profession benefit from
Approaches to health care
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