By shedding new light on what makes health systems behave in certain ways, WHO also hopes to help policy-makers understand the many complex issues involved, weigh their options, and make wise choices. 10.50 Order no. It gathers the arguments and evidence that give health messages their persuasive power in the formulation of national policies and the direction of international aid. The report explains how lessons learned from past successes and failures can guide a more targeted and pragmatic approach to current and emerging health challenges. It warns of the unprecedented complexity of these challenges, and offers strategic directions for tackling them in the next decade.
Clear conclusions emerge.
Despite recent spectacular progress in disease control and extended life expectancy, more than 1 billion people today have not shared in these gains. Meanwhile, the threat posed by infectious diseases is being accompanied by the growing prominence of noncommunicable diseases, which are far more complex and costly to manage. Consequently, health systems can no longer afford to allocate resources to interventions of low quality or low efficacy related to cost. Spontaneous, unmanaged growth in any country's health system cannot reliably ensure that the greatest health needs are met. In defining priorities and selecting interventions, decision-makers must focus their efforts on areas where the return in health gains is demonstrably greatest.