Cross-country evaluation of health care systems performance on mortality indices

Abstract

Explaining the impact of health care systems in determining variations in health status across countries has a significant role in health policy. This study explored the effects of variations in the volume of health care and in certain characteristics of health systems on mortality indices across 20 MENA (Middle East and North Africa) countries. Latent class regression model was used in a panel structure study for classification of 20 Middle East and North Africa countries, over the period 1985-2005, based on health systems performance on mortality indices and explore the most important determinants of between country variations in health care systems efficiency. The results suggest that among a wide range of health system inputs, physicians number, education, level of immunization coverage and political stability are the most important factors that significantly affect between-country variations in terms of the effectiveness of health systems in improving mortality indices. One of the most important challenges in public health systems in MENA region is "distinction between services and function" that mainly steams from weak performance by governments. Trying to optimizing in management and monitoring of services, directing health expenditures toward cost-effective programs and reducing the gaps in health coverage can effectively improve health systems functioning in this region. © 2012 Asian Network for Scientific Information.