Health Systems Strengthening
Insights Series
For consumers in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the journey to essential quality health services and products tends to be far from linear. Elevating the voices of consumers to those who create the policies and practices that shape health systems can increase their understanding of these challenges and accelerate progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Through this Insights Series, we share insights and reflections on how to make the consumer’s health journey easier and how consumer perspectives help shape stronger, more resilient, and more responsive health systems.
On this page, you will find a collection of technical briefs, blogs, podcast episodes, and short video interviews that reflect on key HSS themes. We invite you to reflect with us through honest and constructive discussions that do not only focus on what we know, but that also acknowledge what we do not know, and that do not only highlight what works, but that also recognize what does not work.
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Integrating Pharmacies and Drug Shops into the Health System
Pharmacies and drug shops are often the first point of contact with the health system for many consumers, preferred for the convenience and privacy they offer. Better integrating them into the health system, including into health financing arrangements, can contribute to easing the consumer’s journey to quality, affordable health services and products.
LEARN MORE Digitally Signposting to Quality Primary Health Care
In its most basic form, digital signposting will direct consumers to nearby providers who offer the health service or product they need. It can be further developed to capture and share client experience of care and keep health providers accountable for how they interact with patients; or it can be used to incentivize health providers to seek accreditation.
LEARN MORE Better Data for Stronger Health Systems
LMIC governments’ limited ability to routinely collect, analyze and act on real-time, high-quality data contributes to inefficiencies in the use of scarce resources and to poor health outcomes. Three root causes include: limited mechanisms to gather data from the private sector, limited interoperability of health-area specific information systems, and use of data for reporting rather than effective decision-making.
LEARN MORE Increasing Health Insurance Uptake
Many low-and-middle income countries (LMICs) have struggled to increase health insurance uptake and guarantee effective coverage. A more holistic approach is needed that (i) draws upon complementary disciplines, (ii) more deliberately seeks to understand and respond to issues relating to the political economy, and (iii) simultaneously addresses the multiple pain points on both the demand and the supply side.
LEARN MORE Strengthening Health Security
National efforts to prevent and mitigate health emergencies need to be better rooted in local realities. It is critical to more fully engage consumers, community-level actors and private healthcare providers in efforts to prevent, detect and respond to health emergencies.
LEARN MORE 
Changing Behaviors Within the Mixed Health System
Making the health system more responsive to consumers’ needs and preferences calls for a more concerted effort to align consumer’s and health system actors’ behaviors. SBC approaches can be applied to alter the behavior of actors at all levels of the health system and should synergistically complement other approaches typically adopted to change health system actors’ behaviors (e.g., around rules and regulations, training and supportive supervision, provider payment mechanisms).
COMING SOON Integrating Self-Care as a Layer of the Mixed Health System
Self-care must be integrated more sustainably as a critical layer of the health system. This will provide consumers with another convenient and affordable option to access quality care and contribute to making health systems more resilient in times of health emergencies.
COMING SOON 
Integrating Pharmacies and Drug Shops into the Health System
Pharmacies and drug shops are often the first point of contact with the health system for many consumers, preferred for the convenience and privacy they offer. Better integrating them into the health system, including into health financing arrangements, can contribute to easing the consumer’s journey to quality, affordable health services and products.
LEARN MORE Better Data for Stronger Health Systems
LMIC governments’ limited ability to routinely collect, analyze and act on real-time, high-quality data contributes to inefficiencies in the use of scarce resources and to poor health outcomes. Three root causes include: limited mechanisms to gather data from the private sector, limited interoperability of health-area specific information systems, and use of data for reporting rather than effective decision-making.
LEARN MORE Digitally Signposting to Quality Primary Health Care
In its most basic form, digital signposting will direct consumers to nearby providers who offer the health service or product they need. It can be further developed to capture and share client experience of care and keep health providers accountable for how they interact with patients; or it can be used to incentivize health providers to seek accreditation.
COMING SOON Integrating Self-Care as a Layer of the Mixed Health System
Self-care must be integrated more sustainably as a critical layer of the health system. This will provide consumers with another convenient and affordable option to access quality care and contribute to making health systems more resilient in times of health emergencies.
COMING SOON Strengthening Health Security
National efforts to prevent and mitigate health emergencies need to be better rooted in local realities. It is critical to more fully engage consumers, community-level actors and private healthcare providers in efforts to prevent, detect and respond to health emergencies.
COMING SOON Increasing Health Insurance Uptake
Many countries have opted for a pathway toward UHC that includes the development of national health insurance arrangements, yet most struggle to increase health insurance uptake and guarantee effective coverage. A more holistic approach is needed that (i) draws upon complementary disciplines (e.g., insights gathering, social and behavior change (SBC), behavioral economics, and digital health), (ii) more deliberately seeks to understand and respond to issues relating to the political economy, and (iii) simultaneously addresses the multiple pain points on both the demand and the supply side.
COMING SOON Changing Behaviors Within the Mixed Health System
Making the health system more responsive to consumers’ needs and preferences calls for a more concerted effort to align consumer’s and health system actors’ behaviors. SBC approaches can be applied to alter the behavior of actors at all levels of the health system and should synergistically complement other approaches typically adopted to change health system actors’ behaviors (e.g., around rules and regulations, training and supportive supervision, provider payment mechanisms).
COMING SOON 
