Building Blocks of the Health System

Health System

• A health system consists of all organizations, people, and actions whose primary intent is to promote, restore, or maintain health.
• It includes three main components: delivery of health services, activities to enable health services, and stewardship activities.

Building Blocks of Health Systems

• The six building blocks of health systems are: service delivery, health workforce, health information, medical products and technologies, health financing, and leadership/governance/stewardship.
• These building blocks are essential for a well-functioning health system.

Service Delivery

• Good health services deliver effective, safe, and quality personal and non-personal health interventions to those who need them.
• Services can be delivered in various settings, including homes, communities, workplaces, and health facilities.
• Priorities in service delivery include packaging, delivery models, infrastructure, management, safety, and quality.

Health Workforce

• A well-performing health workforce is responsive, fair, and efficient in achieving the best possible health outcomes.
• Health workers include all people engaged in actions whose primary intent is to protect and improve health.
• Priorities in health workforce include national workforce policies, investment plans, advocacy, norms, standards, and data.

Health Information

• A well-functioning health information system ensures the production, analysis, dissemination, and use of reliable and timely information on health determinants, health system performance, and health status.
• The system has three domains: health determinants, health system performance, and health status.

Medical Products, Vaccines, and Technologies

• A well-functioning health system ensures equitable access to essential medical products, vaccines, and technologies that are safe, effective, and cost-effective.
• Priorities in medical products, vaccines, and technologies include norms, standards, policies, reliable procurement, and quality assurance.

Health Financing

• A good health financing system raises adequate funds for health, ensuring people can access needed services without financial hardship.
• The system has three interrelated functions: revenue collection, pooling of pre-paid revenues, and purchasing of interventions.

Leadership/Governance/Stewardship

• Leadership and governance involve ensuring strategic policy frameworks, effective oversight, coalition-building, regulation, and accountability.
• Priorities in leadership/governance/stewardship include health sector policies, harmonization, alignment, oversight, and regulation.

ASEAN – A Regional Body for Health Governance

• ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) is a regional body that promotes cooperation among member states in various areas, including health.
• The "ASEAN Way" emphasizes consensus-based decision-making, non-interference in internal affairs, and respect for sovereignty and national identity of member states.
• Challenges faced by ASEAN include limited economic commitment, lack of quality data collection and analysis, and coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO).