Health
How surveys twist rankings on health care
IPN Opinion article
Proponents of nationalised healthcare systems frequently refer to the WHO ranking the US system a lowly 37th in the world. Yet how reliable are these rankings? Glen Whitman reveals their faults and underlying, ideological bias.
End failed healthcare in Africa
IPN Opinion article
Despite massive increases of donor funding for health in Africa, things on the ground are not improving. It's time to examine new methods of delivering healthcare in Africa, in particular harnessing the power of the private sector.
A false threat of epidemics
IPN Opinion article
UNAIDS has at last admitted its world AIDS estimates were wildly inaccurate but it wanted yet more money at the biennial jamboree in Mexico (3-8 August). In an apparently unconnected development it is also looking for a new Director so this British health systems consultant has decided to throw his hat in the ring on a platform of closing down UNAIDS in order to allocate funds according to the real impact of diseases.
Health tourism can be healthy
IPN Opinion article
The benefits of trade have for too long been driven away from healthcare by ring-fenced nationalised systems and vested interests. Now evidence suggests that trade can slow the rise in healthcare costs and be a valuable source of revenue for developing countries.
UN's Russian roulette for poor patients
IPN Opinion article
Sub-standard AIDS and malaria drugs can cause parasite resistance and clinical failure. Yet the Global Fund has been procuring such drugs for millions of low-income patients.
