Health System Components and Strengthening Strategies

Health System Overview

Author: D, Afkar Awad Morgan, MBBS-MD Community
Date: 710

Six Building Blocks of Health Systems

The World Health Organization (WHO) advocates for a framework consisting of six core building blocks to strengthen and support health systems. These blocks are essential components that must interact effectively to improve health service delivery and outcomes. The importance of these blocks is emphasized by the notion that their improvement leads to more equitable and sustainable health services across diverse populations.

The Seven Building Blocks

While the six building blocks are critical, "People" is often referred to as the seventh building block. This term encompasses individuals, households, and communities, who act as civil society participants, consumers, patients, payers, and producers of health by influencing health through their knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and practices.

Six Health System Building Blocks

  1. Service Delivery
       - This block entails providing quality health services with emphasis on safety, access, coverage, and the overall effectiveness of the services delivered.

  2. Health Workforce
       - A competent health workforce is critical for health system performance. This includes well-defined human resources management policies, skill enhancement, and health workforce policies to ensure that the right people are in the right place at the right time.
       - Establishing a Human Resources for Health (HRH) Forum can enhance coordination and synergies among the various stakeholders in the health sector. This is particularly important for Primary Health Care (PHC) and the frontline workforce, which often operate under decentralized structures.

  3. Health Information System
       - A robust health information system is essential for the effective production, analysis, dissemination, and use of health data. This includes the establishment of sound health information policies and strategic plans, alongside the development of integrated health facility reporting systems for hospitals and PHC.

  4. Medical Products, Vaccines, and Technologies
       - Effective governance in this area includes comprehensive laws such as the National Medicines and Poisons Act and the National Medical Supplies Fund 2015. Health systems must ensure they have solid pharmaceutical policies and guidance to support the supply of quality medical products and technologies.

  5. Financing
       - A well-functioning health financing system is paramount. It needs to raise sufficient funds for health, protect individuals from financial catastrophes, efficiently allocate resources, and ensure the quality of services. There should also be a focus on equity and efficiency in the system's financing mechanisms.
       - An exemplary target for health coverage is to achieve above 80% population coverage alongside government commitments to cover vulnerable groups through mechanisms like national health insurance. Multiple financing sources, including Zakat (a form of almsgiving in Islam), funds from federal and state ministries, charities, and NGOs, are vital in reinforcing the financial base of health services.

  6. Leadership and Governance
       - Effective governance is characterized by the presence of strategic policy frameworks, accountability structures, oversight capabilities, coalition-building efforts, and the development of appropriate incentives. Governance plays a significant role in ensuring that the health system is not only well-designed but also holds the involved actors accountable for their roles.
       - The Federal Ministry typically oversees the development of health policy, strategic planning for healthcare, international relations, and provision of financial and technical support to states.