The WHO Regional Office for Europe and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies have jointly released a policy brief aimed at policymakers. This report analyzes governance evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the crucial role of engaging the private sector in healthcare delivery and goods supply.
The COVID-19 pandemic underscored that the private sector possesses valuable resources and expertise that can enhance the delivery of healthcare services and contribute to achieving Universal Health Coverage. Additionally, the private sector plays a vital role in maintaining essential health services and ensuring the resilience of health systems, particularly during times of crisis.
The report emphasizes that collaboration with the private sector is essential, especially as health services grapple with backlogs caused by the pandemic. Engaging the private sector, however, comes with governance challenges, and the report draws lessons from policy successes and failures during the pandemic to guide countries in effectively involving the private sector in their healthcare systems.
Governance practices are critical in ensuring that private sector engagement is governed effectively. The report introduces a governance framework called TAPIC, which identifies potential governance issues in five key areas: transparency, accountability, participation, integrity, and policy capacity. Additionally, the report discusses six governance behaviors that can drive successful private-sector engagement.
Transparency and accountability are highlighted as essential elements to robustly govern private sector contracts. Transparent information fosters public trust and is vital for preserving the integrity of governments handling significant public funds. The report emphasizes the need for clear processes in considering private sector partners and justifying contract awards, especially in public procurement.
Equitable risk-sharing is another key aspect of accountability and protection, and the report recommends addressing this explicitly in private-sector engagements. Establishing emergency procurement guidelines for “crisis contracting” is also proposed to safeguard countries during health emergencies, including pre-vetting potential suppliers and making contract-related information publicly available for scrutiny.
Real-life case studies from various countries, including Italy, Lithuania, Estonia, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, are presented in the report. These case studies illustrate both successful private sector engagements and governance challenges that arose during the pandemic.
The report concludes that understanding how to effectively engage the private sector in healthcare is essential for countries to meet their health system goals. Learning from the experiences of different countries can help avoid pitfalls and improve private sector involvement in healthcare delivery and procurement.
Resource: European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, November 20, 2023
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