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A framework and toolkit for capturing the communicable disease programmes within health systems: tuberculosis control
R A Atun1, N Lennox-Chhugani, F Drobniewski
1Centre for Health Management, The Business School, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, UK. r.atun@imperial.ac.uk
European Journal of Public Health
|September 17, 2004
Summary
Existing communicable disease control evaluations lack health system context analysis. This study introduces a toolkit for comprehensive assessment of health systems and vertical disease programs to improve public health strategies.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Systems Research
- Communicable Disease Control
Background:
- Current communicable disease control evaluations often overlook the crucial health system context, despite its impact on program success.
- Existing frameworks lack instruments for detailed analysis of health system variables influencing vertical program efficacy.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes analyzing national tuberculosis programs within broader health system, reform, and economic contexts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To outline the conceptual basis for a novel model and toolkit for the rapid assessment, monitoring, and evaluation of communicable disease control programs.
- To address the gap in tools that integrate health system analysis with vertical program evaluation.
- To provide policymakers with enhanced intelligence for improving public health interventions.
Main Methods:
- Development of a conceptual model and toolkit for integrated health system and vertical program assessment.
- The toolkit comprises two elements: 'horizontal assessment' of the embedding health system and 'vertical assessment' of the specific disease program.
- Description of the framework, its strengths and weaknesses, approach, and piloting strategy.
Main Results:
- The paper presents the conceptual foundation for a comprehensive toolkit designed for rapid assessment, monitoring, and evaluation.
- The proposed toolkit facilitates a dual approach, assessing both the broader health system and the specific communicable disease program.
- Piloting and further refinement of the toolkit are described.
Conclusions:
- A comprehensive toolkit is needed to evaluate communicable disease control programs effectively by integrating health system context.
- The proposed toolkit offers a novel approach to capture essential health system variables impacting program efficacy.
- This integrated assessment can enhance the ability of policymakers to draw broader lessons and improve public health strategies.