Aims: Empirical research has proven that a strong primary health care (PHC) system produces better health outcomes and therefore, PHC is an important part of a country's health system. This systematic review focuses on the intended aims and targets of PHC reforms conducted in Finland from 1993 onwards. It describes the challenges that the Finnish PHC system has faced, comparing the objectives and the problem with other similar countries, providing lessons from the Finnish experiences for other countries. Methods: A Campbell-styled systematic review was conducted. Databases including Ebsco, Pubmed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Google Scholar and a Finnish health science database Medic were searched. The keywords and MeSH Terms for the review included terms relating to 'health systems', 'primary care', 'reform', and 'Finland' (see Appendix B). English terms were used when using Medline, Scopus and EBSCO, and both Finnish and English terms were used when using Medic. Reference lists of included papers were also searched. Data was extracted and analysed by utilising thematic analysis. Results: 13 relevant papers were found that dealt with PHC policies or reforms implemented in Finland between 1993 and 2015. The aims of the reforms were classified under five themes, which were developed based on a prior scoping review and then tested during data extraction. The themes were: efficient governance and financing, adequate and equitable access, improved quality, increased patient choice and cooperation and integration of services. Conclusions: A number of policies and reforms have been implemented which have directly or indirectly aimed to strengthen the Finnish PHC system. Some policies have intended to strengthen PHC overall while others have focused on only one aspect or challenge. There has recently been a strong tendency to re-centralise health services, and the importance of patient choice and service integration have become increasingly important. Integration and cooperation of different service providers is one of the newest solutions when finding ways to strengthen weak PHC systems. This study shows that in policy success context matters. PHC strengthening needs to be high on the political agenda, and enough resources are needed. This study showed that there have been few durable or sustainable solutions, and further research is needed especially from the overall health systems perspective.

Alleviating the global shortage of health workers, particularly nurses, is critical for health systems and health worker performance. Nurses are mostly women and make up the majority of the health workforce. Several factors have been identified as key players in the shortage crisis and migration is one of these factors. Nurses' migration from Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) increases the nurse shortage in the region and further constraints the already struggling health systems. Migration literature has dominantly focused on macro push-pull, brain drain and ethics theories of migration with limited exploration of relationships, interaction, norms, beliefs and values shaping migration trajectories and decisions. Despite the potential role of gender as an influential component of migration trajectories, there has been little research done to investigate gender in the context of migration of SSA nurses. This review aims to identify, describe, and summarize SSA nurses' migration experiences by assessing the influence of gender on these experiences. The dissertation is organized into 3 parts. Part A is a systematic review protocol that describes the background, justification and methodology of the review. A scoping exercise is conducted to to familiarize with the literature. This is followed by a qualitative systematic approach is utilised and the literature in eight databases is searched using key words and terms derived from an initial scoping exercise and the review questions. Suitable articles are defined and selected using a set inclusion and exclusion criteria. The suitable articles are then appraised and a thematic analysis using a gender focal lens is applied to them. Part B is a literature review of existing primary and theoretical research on health worker shortages; migration and gender analysis in health worker migration and shortages. It provides a background for the systematic review by defining migration, gender and gender analysis as well as presenting the scope on health worker and nurse shortages. The literature review encompasses the scoping exercise and concludes on the relevance of a gender-focused research on nurse migration. Part C. is the full systematic review presented as an article for Human Resources for Health Journal. Articles published on Sub-Saharan African (SSA) nurses' migration experiences between 2005 and 2016 are presented, subjected to a gender analysis to illuminate the results. The discussion and conclusion then follow. The results indicate that there is a paucity of empirical work on nurse migration experiences that is explicitly gender-focused. Gender analysis that is situated in social contexts and identifiers revealed that SSA nurses continuously renegotiate and reconfigure gender roles in child care as they move from one social context to another. Moreover migrating SSA nurse face challenges and limitations at macro, meso and micro levels of the system- that are linked to their identities as either professionals, African migrants and/or women. Therefore, the review underscores the importance of the relationships between gender and local/individual nuances and global/national determinants of migration. However, these studies are limited in their explicit gender and social focus and how it contextually affects health worker performance and quality care provision. More empirical studies are needed to investigate gender influences for migrating male nurses; nurses who remain; and by different geographical & cultural region – to allow comparison across different groups of nurses and determine conceptual generalizations for doing gender research. This dissertation will likely increase understanding of the role of gender in migration decision-making and experiences for SSA nurses across different professional, migrant and woman identities. This understanding has impacts on nurse motivation, capacity and capability as well quality care provision. Additionally, the dissertation provides a better understanding for incorporating gender analysis in health systems research, and also identifies avenues for future research.

Stakeholder analysis (SHA) is an important tool in policy analysis, used to understand the actors who are affected by or have an effect on a particular policy. Its implementation spans a variety of sectors from government to corporate, and conservation to health. The widespread application of SHA naturally causes some confusion with regards to terminology and methodology, but also serves as an opportunity for cross-sectoral and cross-discipline learning. This mini-dissertation discusses methods used to conduct stakeholder analyses (SHAs). It presents, first, the results of a broad scoping review investigating SHA methods described in 28 articles outside the health sector spanning low, middle and high income geographical regions. This scoping review, together with the seminal Varvasovszky and Brugha (2000) health policy SHA guide is, second, used to inform a systematic review – that entails a more critical assessment of the application of SHA across 21 articles addressing the use of SHAs within health policy analysis work undertaken within low to middle income country (LMIC) settings. A variety of methodological approaches to SHAs are used outside of the health sector, including creative ways to generate information in collaboration with SHs, as well as to present SHA findings. Future health policy analysts and researchers would do well to look outside the health sector for more creative and participative data collection and presentation approaches. Notwithstanding the widespread citing of Varvasovsky and Brugha (2000) across health policy SHAs, many of the articles were found wanting in their reflection on key issues presented by Varvasovsky and Brugha (2000). Health policy SH analysts and researchers should consider the use of a two- step SH identification strategy in order to include a greater variety of SHs; offer reflection on their own role within the process of focus and the potential impact of this on the analysis; as well as expand on how context is accounted for in the SHA process, rather than just describing it.

The equitable provision of accessible quality health services and the achievement of universal health coverage (UHC) continue to be prominent on the global health agenda, yet remains an elusive target for many low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). In these contexts, the private not-for-profit (PNFP) sector plays a significant role, and in many African countries, faith-based non-profit (FBNP) providers dominate this sector. Robust public-private partnerships are increasingly being recognised as important to building and maintaining strong, resilient health systems. However, there is a lack of evidence on whether collaborations between FBNPs and the public sector are complementary, have achieved their intended aims, or exactly how these relationships developed over time to shape these health systems. Furthermore, reliable information on both the historical and current spatial distribution of services and how this relates to geographic accessibility and the achievement of UHC is limited. This study explores this in Ghana, a country with a large FBNP sector, mostly networked under the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) which has an influential and now formalised relationship with the government. The following health systems research study utilises a mixed methods approach, synthesising geospatial mapping with varied documentary resources (secondary and primary, current and archival). The evolution of the FBNP sector and the shifts in service footprint are reflected in the geospatial maps, aligned with key historical events and contextualised by a narrative analysis. The study highlights that many faith-based facilities were initially located in rural and remote areas beyond colonial governance control (or boundaries), and many of these facilities still exist, demonstrating resilience to change over time. However, this service footprint has changed and today, public and private health facilities are located in similar areas throughout the country. This trend is in-line with social and political events, changing population dynamics and an increasing population of urban poor. The analysis assesses how the growth of the public sector, and these shifts in presence and profile for the FBNPs has influenced their perceived and measured contribution to UHC - in particular geographic accessibility. This study provides a model for representing the evolution of the relationship between public and a particular type of non-state provider over time, characterising the historical development of the health system, which should be considered in efforts to strengthen and develop the Ghanaian health system, and other relatable LMIC health systems.

As community-based governance structures in the service delivery of primary health care, health committees can promote the quality, accessibility and responsiveness of service delivery. More specifically, health committees provide a platform for community members to advocate for their health needs and meaningfully participate in decision-making, oversight and monitoring of service delivery. Hence, health committees provide a bottom-up strategy to realise the right to health and a people-centred health system. Previous research has found that Health Committees in the Cape Metropole of South Africa face similar challenges as their counterparts globally. In South Africa health committees' role and mandate often seem to be unclear and weak policy frameworks have resulted in wide variations in health committee functionality. Health care providers, particularly health facility managers, have been identified to play a key role in creating a supportive environment for health committees' genuine and effective participation. Particularly, health care providers' misunderstandings of health committees' roles and responsibilities as well as their lack of engagement with health committees can form barriers to health committee's functioning. A gap in understanding exists on the impact training of health care providers could have on health committees' meaningful participation. While many health committee members in the Cape Metropole of the Western Cape Province were already trained, health care providers had not been trained until May 2015. Present realist evaluation sought to describe and explore the immediate and short-term impact of this pilot training on health care providers' responsiveness towards health committees. Pre- and post-training questionnaires, direct observations and semi-structured interviews were employed as research methods. The training evaluation was enriched by participants' diverse professional positions and work environments as well as their various experiences and relationships with health committees. The study reveals that the training played a role in increasing health care providers' responsiveness towards health committees' roles and functions. Health care providers demonstrated understandings and intentions towards building effective working relationships with health committees. However, training is recommended to be followed up on and to be continuous to ensure intentions are translated into practice and to account for the dynamic nature of health facilities, health committees and the health system in which they reside. In this manner, health care providers can increasingly contribute to building sustainable relationships with health committees to promote meaningful and effective community participation, the strengthening of people-centred health systems and the progressive realisation of the right to health.

Health systems resilience is an emerging issue in health policy and systems research, yet limited information exists on how resilient health systems are developed and the different elements that contribute to whole (national) health systems resilience. In this study, resilience is understood from the socio-ecological lens applicable for complex adaptive systems. Resilience therefore is not only the ability of a health system to address disturbances and restore its basic structures and functions, but also the ability of a health system to transform or re-organise in response to a disturbance if the current system is no longer tenable for the context. Along with the rise in the interest in health systems resilience is a renewed focus on partnership with nonstate providers (NSPs) to complement national health systems. The role of NSPs in supporting health systems resilience however has been largely unexplored. This study thus explores the topic of resilience with respect to health systems and focuses on a particular NSP type – namely, faith-based health providers (FBHPs). It describes four country cases of Ghana, Malawi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan - where FBHPs, though their inclusion in the health system and the activities they undertook, appear to have influenced the resilience of national health systems. FBHPs have played critical roles in strengthening health systems, which has been argued to be a key source of resilience. Their presence also diversified the actors in the health system, enabling them to step in as an alternative service provider when government services were unavailable. Historically, FBHPs appeared to be more flexible which allowed them to respond more quickly during times of crises. This flexibility in operations, coupled with their mission to serve marginalized populations, have supported the development of innovations for the poor, which in some instances have been adopted by national governments. As such, FBHPs have not only acted as buffers in times of shocks or stressors, but have also supported the transformation of national health systems for the better. Recent trends of closer integration with governments however are increasing the interdependencies between FBHPs and the public sector, which have potential to make health systems more vulnerable and less resilient.

The central tenets of both the National Health Services of Scotland (NHS) and the Unified Health System of Brazil (SUS) are universality and equity of access to services on the basis of need, free at the point of delivery. Redistribution is designed into the Scottish system. This study uses a mixed methods approach to analyse access to health care and the influence of socioeconomic factors using hip arthroplasty as a proxy measure for equity in the public health care systems of Brazil and Scotland. Methods Three studies were conducted to establish the extent to which equity is achieved in each system and the extent to which inequalities in socioeconomic status and health service supply affect equity. First, an ecological study using routine data of hip arthroplasty rates in the public sector by country and geographic region (2009/10 to 2012/13) complemented by an analysis of supply, specifically per capita distribution of beds and staff nationally and by area. Second, inequalities in access due to socioeconomic status were analysed for Scotland using the Scottish Index of Multideprivation (SIMD) in association with standardised rates; in Brazil two socioeconomic indicators (Gini and Human Development Index - HDI) were modelled (Zero Inflated Poisson - ZIP) with standardised municipal rates of arthroplasties (5,565 municipalities); and a Pearson's correlation. Finally, qualitative interviews were undertaken in both countries with civil servants, health workers and policy makers who were invited to comment on the quantitative results from stages I and II based on a script of open ended questions. Results There is an almost eight fold difference in treatment rates between Brazil (7.8-8.3/100,000) and Scotland between 2009/10 to 2012/13 (57.7-61.1/100,000). There are geographic differences within both countries. The health board areas with the lowest and highest regional rates in Scotland were Glasgow & Clyde with rates of 29.2-40.2/100,000 and Ayrshire & Arran with a rate of 60.2-88.5/100,000 respectively; in Brazil the lowest and highest regions were the North Region (2.3-4/100,000) and South Region (15.4-17.9/100,000) respectively. The two least deprived quintiles (4 and 5) in the Scottish population had both a higher utilisation (42.6%) and proportional growth in number of procedures than the two more deprived (1 and 2); quintile 3 had no consistent changes. In Brazil municipal rates showed a negative correlation with Gini (r=- .226) and a positive correlation with HDI (r=.396); the ZIP model demonstrated that for every standard deviation (SD) change in Gini, rates would be 23% higher or lower, for HDI each SD would lower or increase rates by 56%. Three major areas were identified by interviewees as explanatory factors for these quantitative results: equity of access, health systems, evidence based actions/policies. Crucially the interviewees identified GDP spend on public health care, the ability of governments to redistribute and reallocate resources on the basis of need and the distorting effect of the market and private providers including physicians as key factors; and the need for better data collection from the private sector. Conclusion Although both countries aspire to universal health care, Brazil is very far from reaching that goal due to the widespread socioeconomic differences and that the health system does not redistribute resources, staff and beds according to need. Scotland appears to be achieving universal access on the basis of need, nevertheless there are geographic and socioeconomic differences in access that need to be carefully monitored and understood. In Brazil there should be better planning and resource allocation so that public resources are redirected towards those most in need of the North and Northeast regions.

Background: The Human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV) and Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic peaked in 1999, which led to an increase in funding by donors and Global Health Initiatives (GHI) to combat the epidemic. This literature review examined how the substantial influx of funding for GHI’s and HIV and AIDS since early 2000 has impacted the health system in Zambia. Method: The method used for the study was a systematic literature review.  Results: There is conflicting views and mixed evidence about whether GHIs and HIV and AIDS initiatives have benefitted the general health system. It is clear that GHIs and HIV and AIDS initiatives have added substantially to the increase in funding for health in Zambia. Furthermore, it seems likely that the special attention put on HIV and AIDS created an exclusive and skewed environment with increased capacity to tackle HIV and AIDS, but with less capacity built for health services in general. In-coming support from Global Health Initiatives and funding for HIV and AIDS in Zambia has to some extent been controlled by and led by the contributing donor, giving the Zambian authorities limited oversight of the resources. Conclusions: The influx of funding for HIV and AIDS has led to increased support for a specific disease, but it has not generated support to the health sector in general. It has also led to a fragmented approach, where HIV and AIDS have fallen outside of the regular coordination of the health sector.   Keywords: Zambia, HIV and AIDS, Health systems, vertical initiatives, strengthening, impact. / Bakgrund: The Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection (HIV) och Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) epidemin var på sin högsta nivå 1999, vilket ledde till en kraftig ökning av resurser från givare och globala hälsoinitiativ för att bekämpa epidemin. Denna genomgång av litteraturen undersökte hur denna tillväxt av resurser sedan början av 2000-talet påverkade hälsosystemet i Zambia. Metod: Den metod som användes för studien var en systematisk litteraturgenomgång. Det finns olika slutsatser och bevis för om insatser för HIV och AIDS och globala hälsoinsatser har gynnat hälsosystemet. Resultat: Det är klart att insatser för HIV och AIDS och globala hälsoinsatser har bidragit substantiellt till finansiering av hälsosektorn i Zambia. Studien visade att det är troligt att det särskilda fokus som HIV och AIDS fick skapade en exklusiv och snedvriden miljö, med ökad kapacitet för att hantera HIV och AIDS, men med mindre kapacitet för hälsosektorn generellt. Det stöd och resurser från globala hälsoinitiativ och för HIV och AIDS som Zambia fick del av, har till en del varit kontrollerat av och letts av bidragsgivaren, vilket ledde till att Zambiska myndigheter hade begränsad kontroll över dessa resurser. Slutsats: De ökade resurser som tillkom för att bekämpa HIV och AIDS innebar en ökad satsning på dessa sjukdomar men det har bevisats att detta inte genererade tillräckligt stöd till hälsosystemet. Detta ledde också till en fragmenterad satsning, där HIV och AIDS har hanterats utanför den vanliga samordningen av hälsosektorn.   Nyckelord: Zambia, HIV och AIDS, Hälsosystem, vertikala initiativ, stärkande, effekt.

Nas últimas décadas inúmeras experiências alternativas na área de organização de serviços de saúde tem se desenvolvido no Brasil e países Latino Americanos. O autor considerando as atuais modificações do Sistema de Saúde no Brasil, a partir da criação do Sistema Único de Saúde, estuda a experiência realizada no município de Cotia, existente há mais de 20 anos, tendo como objetivo central analisar seu processo de implementação e os resultados obtidos, dentro da ótica de um Sistema Local de Saúde. O estudo de caso é desenvolvido em dois eixos básicos, um de contextualização da experiência, reconstituindo as diferentes políticas nas esferas federal, estadual e municipal e ainda suas bases conceituais, e outro a partir da experiência em si, recuperando os processos através dos aspectos institucionais, organizacionais, padrões de financiamento e modelo assistencial, avaliando ainda seus resultados e impactos na saúde da comunidade. As conclusões a partir do estudo de caso ressaltam alguns aspectos centrais. Em relação ao desenvolvimento institucional a particularidade da experiência de Cotia, é ter como instituição hegemônica uma entidade privada de caráter filantrópico, a Associação Hospital de Cotia. Essa Associação, desenvolve uma estrutura de participação local, mas predominantemente é orientada a partir de lideranças técnicas fora do município e ligada à Universidade (Faculdade de Saúde Pública). Sua organização contempla como base doutrinária a integração das ações preventivas e curativas e a conformação de uma direção única para o sistema, hospital e rede básica de saúde. Outro aspecto refere-se a formação de recursos humanos incorporada e desenvolvida desde o inicio da experiência. Em relação aos aspectos financeiros do sistema, durante todo período de sua existência a receita operacional tem forte dependência aos orgãos públicos, gerando deficits operacionais cobertos por doações e convênios com instituições internacionais. Em relação ao investimento, essa mesma dependência é observada. Os custos unitários de procedimentos obtidos pelo sistema podem ser considerados baixos, tendo em vista os aspectos qualitativos da prestação de serviço pelo mesmo. Quanto ao modelo assistencial, a experiência de Cotia obedeceu a critérios de racionalização de recursos adotando uma regionalização local, uma hierarquização da rede de serviços e uma articulação intra e intersetorial, desenvolvendo programas, respeitando a integralidade das ações de saúde, criando um sistema de referência e contra-referência efetivo tendo como base na sua priorização a realidade epidemiológico social da comunidade. O componente da participação comunitária do modelo, gerou experiências completas de gerência conjunta de unidades sanitárias e um grau de participação foi considerado satisfatório dada a realidade socio cultural do município. Quanto a área de recursos humanos a experiência desenvolve linhas de formação de recursos humanos de amplo espetro desde o nivel elementar até o nivel universitário, criando um sistema de formação de médicos gerais comunitários adaptados a realidade local. Quanto a dinâmica dos serviços e seus resultados, o sistema atingiu altos graus de cobertura nas populações de maior risco; interferindo de maneira efetiva na melhoria de alguns indicadores de saúde do município principalmente na área Materno-Infantil e de controle das doenças transmissíveis. O autor também vê no atual quradro de organização do Sistema Único, a partir da experiência estudada, a possibilidade de extensão do modelo tendo como base na área hospitalar as Santas Casas. Ainda recomenda o reestudo das formas de financiamento, para o desenvolvimento dos Sistemas Locais, e a criação de uma unidade de gerência neste nivel de intervenção sobre a realidade local. / Some alternative experiences concerning the organization of health services have been developed in Brazil and in other latin americam countries, these late decades. Regarding aspects of the Brazilian Health System imposed through our Constitution, the author studies the experience developed in the Cotia county since twenty years, always having as its main objeetive, the analysis of its implementation process and the achievement obtained within the concept of a Local Health System. The case study is developed focusing two basic points: one, referring the experience already attained by the federal, state and municipal health services, as far as its institutional organization; its financial and health model and final results attained, always dealing with the community health as a whole. The conclusions after the case study point out to some important aspects: dealing with the institutional development of the Cotia Project, it is emphasized a philantropic entity, the Cotia Hospital Association, which has a strong local participation as far its structure is concerned, but also, it is predominantly technical oriented from outside sources of the county, as the school of Public Health of the University of São Paulo. Its organization is based on the philosophy dealing with the integration of preventive and curative health activities, directed towards our existing health system, as far as hospital and health centers services are concerned. Another aspect deals with the development of new human recources, a subject which started at the beginning of the experience. Related to the financial aspects of the project, its operational funds since the starting of its activities, it depends on governmental funds and donations from philantropy as well as from agreements between the \"Associação\" and international institutions. The same situation goes on as far as money investment is concerned. Costs out of services offered are not too high, since its quality is always considered excellent. As far as the model of the Cotia experience, it was always directed towards the rationalization of its owm recources, the local regionalization and hierarchilization of health services, its intra and intersectorial articulation, always developing programs concerning the integration of acceptable health actions. This philosophy creates a two-way referencial system based on priorities and the social epidemiological reality of the community, given place to new experiences dealing with the community participation on he administration of the project. This is a very satisfactory achievement, considering the socio cultural reality of the Cotia county. Also, as far as the preparation of new human resources, the project has been. developing courses from the elementary up to the university levels of education, so creating an educational system for the training of the general practitioner, adapted to our local reality. As far as the dynamics of the services and final results, the project has been covering the population standing for high health risk, a fact that effectively attains the betterment of some of the indewes of the Cotia county, mainly concerning to maternal and infant care areas and also to the control of infectioms diseases.

Research Problem: The South African health system faces numerous challenges associated with its status as a middle-income developing nation. Wasteful expenditure and poor clinical outcomes arise from inefficient inter-organizational communication of patient information and the lack of a centralized health database. Research question: How does the experience of chronic disease patients with their health information inform the development of future health records in low income population groups? Proposition: Exploration of patient and health care workers experiences of medical records can inform their future development to enhance continuity of care. Objectives, methodology, procedures and outcome: Identification of an appropriate format, technological basis and functional design of a prototype medical record system by means of a phenomenological study conducted through in-depth interviews of patients and doctors in order to improve clinical care. Left and right hermeneutics were used to analyse the data and develop themes. Findings: Health records play a critical role in the clinics workflow processes, document the patients' management and clinical progress. They are an important intermediary in the relationship between the patient and the facility. Inefficiencies in the paper-based system lead to ineffective consultations, loss of continuity of care and discord between practitioners and patients. Improvement of the records format is required to provide ubiquitous access to health and improve patient health literacy.