Health Systems Strengthening
What is Health Systems Strengthening? Well-functioning health systems deliver the quality health care people need, when they need it, where they need it, and at prices they can afford. Strengthening health systems, however, is challenging given their complexity. USAID captured this challenge in its definition of health systems strengthening: “A process that concentrates on ensuring that people and institutions, both public and private, undertake core functions of the health system (governance, financing, service delivery, health workforce, information, and medicines/vaccines/other technologies) in a mutually enhancing way, to improve health outcomes, protect citizens from catastrophic financial loss and impoverishment due to illness, and ensure consumer satisfaction, in an equitable, efficient and sustainable manner.” As this definition implies, health systems encompass many subsystems, such as human resources, information systems, health finance, and health...