This presentation was given at a session at the Global Symposium on Health Systems Research in November 2010. Panelists included Ruth Berg, Gerry Bloom, Birger Forsberg, Kara Hanson, Gina Lagomarsino, Dominic Montagu, Stefan Nachuk

1. Panelists: Ruth Berg, Gerry Bloom, Birger Forsberg, Kara
Hanson, Gina Lagomarsino, Dominic Montagu, Stefan Nachuk.
Convenor: Dominic Montagu
Commentator: Gustavo Nigenda Lopez
Facilitator: Sara Bennett

2. Initiatives that helped to re-kindle
research interest in the private sector
 Interest group on the private health sector
 First meeting at iHEA Copenhagen (2007)
 Symposium at iHEA Beijing (2009)
 Supplement of Health Policy and Planning on Private Sector Issues
 Further symposium planned for iHEA 2011
 Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research –
Identification of priorities in research on the private sector
(2007-2008)
 Future Health Systems private market focus
 Private Sector Programme in Health research network
(2002-2008)

3. Identifying Priority Research Questions
Theme 3: Non-state sector issues
in Low and Middle Income countries
1. How can government create a better environment to foster
non-state providers in the achievement of health systems
outcomes
2. What is the quality and/or coverage of health care services
provided by the non-state sector for the poor?
3. What types of regulation can improve health system outcomes
and under what conditions?

4. Session Aims
 To consider how the research agenda on the private
health sector has developed during the past 4-5 years,
including changes in
 Private health sector interventions
 Research priorities
 Research methods
 Networks and communities of practice

5. The session
 Format: A fishbowl!
 Panel Members
 Ruth Berg – Abt Associates and SHOPS
 Gerry Bloom – Institute for Development Studes & Future
Health Systems
 Birger Forsberg – Karolinska Insitute
 Kara Hanson – London School of Hygiene and Tropical
Medicine and Consortium for Research on Equity and Health
(CREHS)
 Gina Lagomarsino – Results for Development
 Dominic Montagu – Centre for Global Health, University of
California, San Francisco
 Stefan Nachuk – Rockefeller Foundation
 Commentator – Gustavo Nigenda, INSP, Mexico

6. Outline of Questions
 What have been the key private health sector
initiatives/developments in LMICs during the past 5
years?
 What research opportunities have these new
initiatives/developments given rise to?
 To what degree are the research priorities on the
private health sector, that were identified by the
Alliance still relevant today?
 Have there been developments in terms of the
research methods and approaches available to study
the private health sector?
 Which networks/communities of practice do you find
most useful in this field?