Positron emission tomography–computed
tomography (better known as PET-CT) has
revolutionized medical diagnosis since
the first commercial systems reached the market in the
early 2000s.(1) This advanced nuclear imaging technique
combines a positron emission tomography (PET)
scanner and an X-ray computed...
The crisis has given substance to an old and often
hypothetical debate about the financial sustainability of
health systems in Europe. For years it was the spectre
of ageing populations, cost-increasing developments
in technology and changing public expectations that
haunted European policy-makers troubl...
Economic shocks present policy-makers with three main challenges:o Health systems require predictable sources of revenue. Sudden interruptions to public revenue streams can make it difficult to maintain necessary levels of health care.o Cuts to public spending on health made in response to an economic sh...
When confronted by an economic shock affecting the health sector, policymakers may decide to maintain, decrease or increase current levels of public
expenditure on health. With each option they could also reallocate funds within
the health system to enhance efficiency. A range of tools can be used to alt...
Health costs are spiralling out of control all over the world in context of global financial crisis while some countries are still struggling to offer basic health services. The health sector in Sub-Saharan Africa is most often unfunded, including the health workforce, which represents the single largest...
The World Health Organization Guidelines for the treatment of malaria provides
evidence-based and up-to-date recommendations for countries on malaria
diagnosis and treatment which help countries formulate their policies and
strategies. In scope, the Guidelines cover the diagnosis and treatment of
uncompl...
This article is part of a series written for people responsible for making decisions about health policies and programmes and for those who support these decision makers. Policymakers have limited resources for developing ? or supporting the development of ? evidence-informed policies and programmes. The...
Poor people?s access to good health care is limited because they cannot afford it and often live far from quality services. There is evidence that poor people will pay to use health services if the quality is good. Cash transfers have also been highly successful in encouraging women to use health care. A...
Without evidence-informed action, health-related Millennium Development
Goals as well as those of individual nations are unlikely to be achieved.
Health policies are influenced by a variety of factors – values and beliefs,
stakeholder power, institutional constraints, and donor funding flows, among
oth...
