How do countries regulate the health sector? Evidence from Tanzania and Zimbabwe
Abstract
The health sectors in many low- and middle-income countries have been characterized in recent years by extensive private sector activity. This has been complemented by increasing public-private linkages, such as the contracting-out of selected services or facilities, development of new purchasing arrangements, franchising and the introduction of vouchers. Increasingly, however, experience with the private sector has indicated a number of problems with the quality, price and distribution of private health services, and thus led to a growing focus on the role of government in regulation.
This paper presents the existing network of regulations governing private activity in the health sectors of Tanzania and Zimbabwe, and their appropriateness in the context of emerging market realities. It draws on a comparative mapping exercise reviewing the complexity of the variables currently being regulated, the level of the health system at which they apply, and the specific instruments being used.
Citation
Health Policy and Planning (2000) 15 (4) 357-367 [doi:10.1093/heapol/15.4.357]
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How do countries regulate the health sector? Evidence from Tanzania and Zimbabwe