How well is the health sector performing? Measuring expenditures and efficiencies to meet strategic objectives and inform policy and health system reforms

This course will provide an introduction on the challenges and opportunities of tracking expenditures in the health sector, measuring the efficiency of a health system, and using providers payment systems to achieve strategic health sector objectives. The course will introduce basic economic concepts, indicators, and methodological considerations, while keeping a pragmatic lens on the implications for informing policy dialogue and health sector reforms. The course will draw from practices and experiences in low- and middle-income countries in Africa, Latin America and South Asia, that are fully relevant for high income countries as well. Each day, an international expert will present a case study on a specific topic, providing real world experiences from different regions and countries across the world. Participants are invited to actively contribute to the discussion by sharing experiences from their own countries, to help fill the mission of mutual learning for change.

By the end of the course participants will:

• Know methods and challenges for tracking expenditure in the health sector, what are common practical challenges, and why it is critical for policy dialogue/health sector reforms
• Get a basic understanding of methods and indicators for measuring the efficiency of the health sector, discuss practical challenges and implications for decision making
• Learn about providers payment systems, pros and cons of each and how these can be used to achieve strategic objectives of the health sector

No prerequisites are needed for this introductory course. The course targets participants interested in how to measure, track, and drive the performance of the health sector and how this influences policy dialogue and the implementation/monitoring of health sector strategies in low and middle income countries (although the issues discussed in the course are also fully relevant to high income countries). The course can also be of interest for persons involved in development programs in low and middle income countries that have a health component or participants conducting research on similar topics.

• Introductory lectures on: 1) Tracking expenditure in health: challenges and implications; 2) Measuring the performance/efficiency of the health sector; 3) Using providers payment systems to improve the performance of the health sector
• Case studies from Africa, Latin America and South Asia presented by world/country experts in the topic
• Group discussion and exchanges between participants on country specific challenges and approaches used to resolved them

• Participation in introductory lectures
• Active participation in group discussion
• Brief write (1-2 pages) to discuss how one or more of the concepts discussed during the class apply to participant’s country context.

At least one facilitator will be on-site in Lugano, and some will join online. Participants are welcomed to join either on-site in Lugano, or online. In case of a change of regional policies (e.g., Covid) or personal reasons, the course could change to online.