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PLOS BLOGS Speaking of Medicine and Health

The changing nature of global health institutions

In January 2010 PLoS Medicine published a four-part weekly series examining the ways in which global health institutions and arrangements are changing and evolving.

Image Credit: yo|ko

In the introductory article Nicole A. Szlezák of Harvard University and colleagues analyze the changing relationships between “old actors” in global health (such as the World Health Organization and national health ministries) and new actors, such as public-private partnerships for health and new civil society organizations.

In the second article in the series, Julio Frenk offers a framework to better understand national health systems and their role in global health. (A video of a lecture given by Julio Frenk on globalization and health is available on the National Institutes of Health website).

Gerald Keusch and colleagues examine institutional arrangements for malaria research in the third article in the series. And in the fourth and final article Suerie Moon and colleagues propose future actions to strengthen global health  institutions.

Szlezak NA, Bloom BR, Jamison DT, Keusch GT, Michaud CM, et al. (2010) The Global Health System: Actors, Norms, and Expectations in Transition. PLoS Med 7(1): e1000183. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000183

Frenk J (2010) The Global Health System: Strengthening National Health Systems as the Next Step for Global Progress. PLoS Med 7(1): e1000089. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000089

Keusch GT, Kilama WL, Moon S, Szlezák NA, Michaud CM (2010) The Global Health System: Linking Knowledge with Action—Learning from Malaria. PLoS Med 7(1): e1000179. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000179

Moon S, Szlezák NA, Michaud CM, Jamison DT, Keusch GT, et al. (2010) The Global Health System: Lessons for a Stronger Institutional Framework. PLoS Med 7(1): e1000193. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000193

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