Health Economics Assignment

Background

Modules 1 to 4 have provided an overview of economic principles and concepts, and the eTest is based on these modules. In Module 5, behavioural economics is covered, which is a fairly recent field of economics dealing with how human behaviour deviates from the model of homo economicus or rational man. Modules 6 to 9 build on these earlier modules to explore the economics of the health system.

These modules provide insight into how alternative approaches to financing and organizing health care, together with health system governance, can impact on key performance indicators such as universal health coverage, efficiency and equity. The economic perspective alone is not sufficient to unravel the complexities influencing health system performance, but health economics provides important tools and ways of thinking that contribute to good strategy development and policymaking. Important too are the context within which health systems are situated and the political economy shaping the interrelationships and power dynamics within a society.

A framework developed and refined over several years by Joseph Kutzin, coordinator for Health Financing Policy at the World Health Organization, provides guidance on how to examine a country’s health financing system, and consider where the system is performing well or poorly, the challenges experienced, and issues to address in future health system reform. This framework is presented in the document below and will be explained further in Modules 6 to 9 (Cluster 3) of the unit.

Kutzin J. Health financing for universal coverage and health system performance: concepts and implications for policy. Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 2013;91:602-611. Another useful document, which will also be used as a reference in Cluster 3, is shown below, and is worth consulting in tackling this assessment: McIntyre D, Kutzin J. Health financing country diagnostic: a foundation for national strategy development. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2016 (Health Financing Guidance No 1).

Assignment question

Using the Kutzin framework, together with the knowledge and skills you are acquiring in this unit, prepare a PowerPoint presentation that provides a critical analysis of health system financing in a low-income country. The income status of countries is defined by the World Bank and the list included at the end of this assignment.

Each PowerPoint slide must have corresponding text written in the notes section of the slide where you discuss in more depth the points that you have presented on the slide. This discussion must be written using correct grammar and sentence structure in the same way as required in a written assignment. References must be included in the text in the notes section but not on the PowerPoint slides.

The PowerPoint presentation is to contain a maximum of 20 slides (excluding the references). The text on the notes pages must not exceed 2500 words; any word count over 3,000 words will not be marked