Supporting inclusive and accountable health systems decisions in Ghana and Kenya for universal health coverage (SUPPORT-SYSTEMS)
Project
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Can decision-making processes for health systems strengthening and universal health coverage (UHC) be made more inclusive, responsive and accountable? This project will explore this question, focusing on the extent to which actively involving civil society voices and other stakeholders can humanise decision-making processes for UHC and promote equity.
Summary
How countries pursue UHC depends on their approaches to strengthening health systems. However, this should ideally include using evidence to inform decisions about health systems interventions, and involving stakeholders in these processes. Our research therefore focuses on two key areas: evidence-informed health systems decisions and inclusive and accountable decision-making. We will explore national and subnational decision-making processes in Ghana and Kenya—two low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with a political commitment to UHC, and focused on implementing decentralization as a key strategy for health sector reform and more inclusive governance.
The project has three objectives:
1) to identify factors affecting the participation and agency of civil society during national and subnational evidence-informed health policy processes;
2) to explore how policymakers in Ghana and Kenya engage with, value and use different types of evidence, particularly qualitative evidence on stakeholder views and experiences, when making health systems decisions on service delivery reforms and;
3) to develop new tools to support inclusive and accountable health systems decisions at national and subnational levels.
Project partners include the University of Ghana, the Kenyan Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), the University of Oslo, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and the Healthcare Information for All (HIFA) global forums.
Our findings will provide key insights on how citizen voices, including research evidence on citizen perspectives, can be included in health decision making in LMICs and how this can contribute to more inclusive, accountable and equitable health systems.
Participating institutions and individuals
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Folkehelseinstituttet 
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Kenyan Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) 
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Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, University of Ghana 
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Western Norway University of Applied Sciences 
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Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) 
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Healthcare Information for all (HIFA) 
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Project number
61072
Start
01.08.2021
End
31.12.2025
Financing
Research Council of Norway
Project owner/ Project manager
NIPH