The Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research has released the Health Reform Manual: Eight Practical Steps, a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, health managers, and reform advocates working to strengthen health systems.
Building on the influential framework from Getting Health Reform Right, this manual provides accessible and actionable guidance for planning, implementing, and sustaining health reform in diverse country contexts.
Steps
The manual outlines eight practical steps for navigating health reform:
1️⃣ Decide to start a health reform process
2️⃣ Create a Health Reform Team
3️⃣ Assess health system performance and define performance problems
4️⃣ Diagnose the causes of performance problems
5️⃣ Decide your reform package
6️⃣ Conduct political analysis and design political strategies
7️⃣ Manage implementation to achieve results
8️⃣ Evaluate impacts and build resilience for health reform
What makes this manual particularly useful is its focus on real-world implementation, political economy, stakeholder engagement, and adaptive learning — all critical elements for effective and sustainable reform.
The inclusion of practical worksheets and implementation tools also makes it highly relevant for countries working toward stronger, more equitable, and resilient health systems.
A timely and practical contribution for everyone engaged in health policy, health financing, governance, and systems strengthening.
