Health systems worldwide are currently dealing with the escalating burden of Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs), most notably cardiovascular diseases (CVD), cancers and diabetes mellitus. These conditions affect millions of individuals, leading to a diminished quality of life and an unsustainable demand for healthcare resources. Beyond the clinical impact, collectively the three conditions serve as the primary driver of global mortality, exacting a heavy economic toll by significantly limiting workforce productivity. Addressing this crisis requires a fundamental shift from the traditional reactive model of care to a more proactive, preventative approach. For this transformational shift to be successful and sustainable, health system reforms must not only mitigate the current NCD burden but also be designed to withstand the projected demographic and epidemiological shifts of the near future.
While various health system reforms have been documented across low-, middle-, and high-income countries, a significant gap remains in the existing literature regarding the mechanics of change. Most case studies describe the outcomes of reform, yet few offer a granular analysis of how that change was achieved. There is a critical need to move beyond high-level summaries and develop a deeper understanding of the specific barriers and enablers that dictate success or failure. This includes identifying the exact conditions under which reform thrives and more importantly, explicitly documenting what does not work.
This project aims to fill this knowledge gap by evaluating the quality and implementation of global case studies from the last decade. By analysing these diverse processes, we aim to move beyond descriptive reporting to uncover the underlying drivers of health system transformation. Ultimately, this research will culminate in a set of evidence-based, comprehensive recommendations designed to guide health systems worldwide and allow the implementation of resilient reforms that can effectively mitigate the growing global challenge of NCDs.
View the poster and presentations for this research below:
The report will be published soon.