International Health Policies in Lancet today – 20 – 19 June 09

Dear Colleagues,

This week, The Lancet focuses on health aid, with two major articles. First, the report “Maximizing Positive Synergies” on interactions between Global Health Initiatives and country Health Systems, prepared by WHO and a group of academic and civil society organisations. Several ITM staff contributed to this article, especially with as yet unpublished background papers: (1) G Ooms et al. on fiscal space constraints and possible crowding out & (2) Cavalli et al. on the effect of a mass campaign for neglected tropical diseases on the health system in rural Mali. We also attach the polemic Lancet editorial and a rapid response from the Civil Society Consortium. We further include an article analysing trends in development assistance for health, and a comment on this paper. Finally we include three reactions on Gorik Ooms’ contribution ‘Towards a global fund for the health MDGs?’, published a few weeks ago.

David Hercot& Wim Van Damme

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1. Lancet An assessment of interactions between global health initiatives and country health systems

World Health Organization Maximizing Positive Synergies Collaborative Group

Get the article from the Lancet directly

2. Lancet Financing of global health: tracking development assistance for health from 1990 to 2007

Nirmala Ravishankar, Paul Gubbins, Rebecca J Cooley, Katherine Leach-Kemon, Catherine M Michaud, Dean T Jamison, Christopher JL Murray

3. Lancet What can be learned from data for financing of global health?

Peter S Heller

4. Lancet Who runs global health?

The Lancet

5. Civil society consortium: Who runs The Lancet’s attacks on GHI?

document available only on our website

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6. Lancet Towards a global fund for the health MDGs?

Comments from Alvaro Bermejo; Helen Epstein; Jeffrey D Sachs, Paul M Pronyk