European Alcoho... / Newsroom / Newsletter / December 2009 -... / News from the WHO / New report assesses performance of health systems
New report assesses performance of health systems
A new report from the WHO Europe office outlines the trends in public health indicators over the last four years, looking at what factors influence health and the challenges for the future.
In general, the report considers the contribution made by health systems in improving population health in the WHO European Region, in light of the reforms made to service delivery, resource generation, financing and stewardship.
The report is available on the WHO Europe website <http://www.euro.who.int/Document/E93103.pdf> .
The dangers of too narrow a focus on finance
Financial sustainability is of limited use as a policy goal for public health, given the lack of clarity over its precise meaning, according to a new report from the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies.
The report points out that although the concept of financial sustainability is cited as a major concern during debates over health policy, it is not clearly defined in terms of willingness to pay for health care, the value of the benefits gained from health spending and how to improve the performance of the health system.