Review paper: Public-private partnerships for equity of access to care for tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

The abstract of a recently published review of

research studies on private sector involvement in TB

and HIV/AIDS care is presented below. The two chronic

infectious diseases, separately and in synergy,

contribute in large degree to prevalent adult

morbidity and mortality in India. In order to manage

the growing burden of ill health it has become

increasingly necessary to enlist the services and

support of the private medical sector. The paper

draws on experiences of involving private

practitioners in TB care, outlines strengths and

weaknesses of private care provision for HIV/AIDS, and

discusses opportunities for the public and private

sectors to work together to provide better care for TB

and HIV/AIDS.

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Public-private partnerships for equity of access to

care for tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS: lessons from Pune,

India

Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine

and Hygiene, Volume 100, Issue 4, April 2006, Pages

312-320

Authors: Kabir Sheikh, Porter, Karina Kielmann

and Sheela Rangan

Summary: The private medical sector is an important

and rapidly growing source of health care in India.

Private medical providers (PMP) are a diverse group,

known to be poorly regulated by government policies

and variable in the quality of services provided.

Studies of their practices have documented

inappropriate prescribing as well as violation of

ethical guidelines on patient care. However, despite

the critique that inequitable services characterise

the private medical sector, PMPs remain important and

preferred providers of primary care.

This paper argues that their greater involvement in the public health

framework is imperative to addressing the goal of

health equity. Through a review of two research

studies conducted in Pune, India, to examine the role

of PMPs in tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/AIDS care, the

themes of equity and access arising in private sector

delivery of care for TB and HIV/AIDS are explored and

the future policy directions for involving PMPs in

public health programmes are highlighted. The paper

concludes that public-private partnerships can enhance

continuity of care for patients with TB and HIV/AIDS

and argues that interventions to involve PMPs must be

supported by appropriate research, along with

political commitment and leadership from both public

and private sectors.

PDF copies of the article are available from the

corresponding author: kabirsheikh@...

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Kabir Sheikh, MBBS (MAMC), MSc Public Health (LSHTM)

PhD Candidate, Health Policy Unit and DfID Tuberculosis Knowledge Programme,

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Consultant, Resource Centre for Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS, New Delhi

121 Sundar Nagar

New Delhi 110003

Tel: (+91) 11 41507185

Mobile: (+91) 9810953885

e-MAIL: kabirsheikh@...