'Blind Optimism: Challenging the Myths about Private Health Care

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'Blind Optimism: Challenging the Myths about Private Health Care in

Poor Countries'

by Marriott.

In the past few years Oxfam has found a number of influential donors

and international organisations increasingly advocate for private

sector health care delivery as a solution to slow progress on health

in poor countries.

Blind Optimism explores in depth the evidence available against a

number of arguments and assumptions made in favour of private sector

health care provision. It also looks to those developing countries

that have achieved significant successes in scaling up towards

universal and equitable access to health care and the policies they

have pursued.

It concludes that there is very little empirical evidence in support

of so-called private sector solutions and that the potential risks of

a greater role for the private sector in health care delivery are

largely ignored.

At the same time publicly delivered services, although far from

perfect and often in need of substantial reform and support, are at

the heart of health services in poor countries with higher

performing, more pro-poor health systems.

In launching this new paper Oxfam is calling for a halt to the use of

unproven and risky policies that promote an expansion of the private

sector and threaten to undermine government capacity to deliver to

those most in need. At the same time governments must prioritise the

rapid scaling-up of free public provision of health services – the

only proven route to achieve health care for all.

http://www.oxfam.org/en/policy/bp125-blind-optimism