Multisectoral Preventive Health Services in Sri Lanka : Lessons for Developing Countries in Providing Public Goods in Health

What can other developing countries learn from Sri Lanka on achieving good health at low cost? While its well-organized medical and maternal-child health services have been documented elsewhere, this paper fills a gap in documenting how it organizes services to reduce the population's exposure to disease -- a pure public good. The key factors underlying the effectiveness of these services are (1) strong focal points in the central Health Ministry for supporting preventive services; (2) pro-active outreach by the health line agency to collaborate with other sectors / agents whose work influences public health outcomes; and (3) community-level delivery institutions with well-trained multivalent Public Health Inspectors -- all underpinned by (4) assured tax-based financing. This paper describes this system in some detail such that other countries can learn from Sri Lanka's successful approach to improving population health. It also makes some recommendations for strengthening the system in response to changing conditions.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Das Gupta, Monica, Dalpatadu, K.C.S., Shanmugarajah, C.K., Herath, H.M.S.S.D.
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2013-08
Subjects:	ADOLESCENT HEALTH, ANTENATAL CARE, AVIAN FLU, BABY, BLOOD TRANSFUSION, BURDEN OF DISEASE, CAPACITY BUILDING, CERTIFICATION, CHILD CARE, CHILD HEALTH, CHILD HEALTH SERVICES, CHOLERA, CITIZEN, CITIZENS, CIVIL WAR, CLEANLINESS, CLINICS, COLD CHAIN, COMMUNICABLE DISEASE, COMMUNICABLE DISEASE CONTROL, COMMUNICABLE DISEASE SURVEILLANCE, COMMUNICABLE DISEASES, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION, DEAD BODIES, DENGUE, DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, DEVELOPMENT POLICY, DISASTERS, DISEASE, DISEASE CONTROL, DISEASE OUTBREAK, DISEASE OUTBREAKS, DISEASE PREVENTION, DISEASE PREVENTION AND CONTROL, DISEASE SURVEILLANCE, DISPENSARIES, DRUGS, ELDERLY, ELDERLY CARE, EMERGENCIES, ENCEPHALITIS, ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, EPIDEMICS, EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEILLANCE, EPIDEMIOLOGISTS, EPIDEMIOLOGY, FAMILY HEALTH, FAMILY PLANNING, FEVER, FILARIASIS, FIRST AID, FOOD CONTROL, FOOD HANDLING, FOOD POISONING, FOOD PROCESSING, FOOD SAFETY, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, GRASSROOTS WORKERS, HAEMATOLOGY, HAZARDS, HEALTH AUTHORITIES, HEALTH CARE, HEALTH CARE COVERAGE, HEALTH CARE WASTE, HEALTH CENTRES, HEALTH CONDITIONS, HEALTH EDUCATION, HEALTH EXPENDITURE, HEALTH FINANCING, HEALTH INFORMATION, HEALTH LEGISLATION, HEALTH MINISTRIES, HEALTH OFFICIALS, HEALTH OUTCOMES, HEALTH PLAN, HEALTH PLANNING, HEALTH POLICIES, HEALTH POLICY, HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, HEALTH PROMOTION, HEALTH REGULATIONS, HEALTH SECTOR, HEALTH SERVICE, HEALTH SERVICE DELIVERY, HEALTH SERVICE PROVISION, HEALTH SERVICES, HEALTH SYSTEM, HEALTH SYSTEM STRENGTHENING, HEALTH SYSTEMS, HEALTH SYSTEMS STRENGTHENING, HEALTH WORKERS, HEALTH WORKFORCE, HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT, HOME VISITS, HOSPITAL, HOSPITAL SANITATION, HOSPITALS, HUMAN HEALTH, HYGIENE, ILLNESS, IMMUNIZATION, INCOME, INDOOR AIR POLLUTION, INDUSTRIALIZATION, INFECTION, INFECTIONS, INFECTIOUS DISEASES, INFLUENZA, INFORMATION SYSTEM, ISOLATION, IUDS, LABORATORY SERVICES, LATRINES, LAWS, LEPROSY, LEPTOSPIROSIS, LIFE EXPECTANCY, LIMITED RESOURCES, LOCAL AUTHORITIES, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, LOW FERTILITY, MALARIA, MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH, MASS MEDIA, MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH, MATERNAL CARE, MATERNAL DEATH, MATERNAL DEATHS, MATERNAL HEALTH, MEAT, MEDICAL CARE, MEDICAL FACILITIES, MEDICAL INSPECTION, MEDICAL OFFICER, MEDICAL OFFICERS, MEDICAL PRACTICE, MEDICAL RESEARCH, MEDICAL SERVICES, MEDICAL STATISTICS, MEDICINE, MIDWIVES, MIGRATION, MINISTRY OF HEALTH, MORBIDITY, MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY, MORTALITY, NATIONAL ACTION, NATIONAL ACTION PLAN, NATIONAL LEVEL, NATIONAL LEVELS, NATURAL DISASTERS, NCD, NEEDS ASSESSMENT, NEONATAL TETANUS, NEWBORN, NEWBORN HEALTH, NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES, NOTIFIABLE DISEASES, NURSES, NURSING, NUTRITION, OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH, ORAL HEALTH, PANDEMICS, PARASITOLOGY, PATIENT, PATIENTS, PERSONAL HYGIENE, PHYSICIANS, PHYSIOLOGY, POLICY DISCUSSIONS, POLICY FORMULATION, POLICY RESEARCH, POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER, POLIO, POLITICAL PARTY, POLLUTION, POOR HEALTH, POSTNATAL CARE, PREGNANT WOMEN, PREVENTION ACTIVITIES, PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICES, PRIMARY CARE, PRIVATE DOCTORS, PROGRESS, PUBLIC ATTENTION, PUBLIC HEALTH, PUBLIC HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES, PUBLIC SERVICE, QUARANTINE, RABIES, REFUGEE, REFUGEE CAMPS, RESPECT, RESPIRATORY DISEASES, RESTAURANTS, ROOMS, RURAL AREAS, SAFE DRINKING WATER, SANITARY CONDITIONS, SANITARY FACILITIES, SANITATION, SCHOOL HEALTH, SEPTIC TANKS, SERVICE DELIVERY, SERVICE PROVISION, SERVICE QUALITY, SICK LEAVE, SMOKING, STDS, STERILIZATION, SYMPTOMS, T.V., TB, TERRORIST, TOBACCO PRODUCTS, TREATMENT, TUBERCULOSIS, UNIFORMS, URBAN AREAS, URBAN DEVELOPMENT, URBANIZATION, VACCINATION, VACCINES, VECTOR CONTROL, VECTORS, WASTE, WASTE DISPOSAL, WATER SUPPLIES, WATERBORNE DISEASES, WORKERS, WORKING CONDITIONS, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, ZOONOTIC DISEASE, ZOONOTIC DISEASES,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/08/18089167/multisectoral-preventive-health-services-sri-lanka-lessons-developing-countries-providing-public-goods-health https://hdl.handle.net/10986/21475
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!