Training Course on Healthcare Policy and Legislative Process

Module 1: Foundations of Healthcare Policy
Understanding Health Policy
Definitions and scope of health policy.
Distinguishing health policy from health strategy and law.
Core Elements of Health Policy
Vision, objectives, priorities, and instruments (laws, regulations, financing, services).
Types of Health Policy
Regulatory policies (e.g., licensing health facilities).
Allocative policies (e.g., funding maternal health).
Redistributive policies (e.g., subsidies for the poor).
Health Policy & Health Systems
WHO health system building blocks (financing, workforce, service delivery, governance, medicines, and information).
How policy influences equity, access, and quality.
Case Study: Review of a national vaccination policy and its impact on disease control.
Exercise: Break participants into groups to identify gaps in an existing local/national health policy.

Module 2: The Legislative Process in Healthcare
Legislative Systems Overview
How bills are introduced, debated, and passed into law.
Legislative committees and their role in health policy.
Executive and Ministerial Role
Ministry of Health’s role in drafting, implementing, and enforcing laws.
Inter-ministerial collaboration (finance, education, labor).
Public Participation
Mechanisms for civil society input in law-making.
Importance of hearings, consultations, and media campaigns.
Linking Policy to Budgetary Allocations
How parliaments and treasury systems decide resource allocation.
Trade-offs in health financing legislation.
Activity: Role-play simulation of parliamentary debate on a bill for universal health coverage.
Example: Passage of tobacco control legislation in different countries.

Module 3: Stakeholders and Power Dynamics in Health Policy
Mapping Key Stakeholders
Government agencies (ministries, parliaments, regulators).
Service providers (hospitals, professional associations).
Payers (insurance funds, donors).
NGOs, community-based organizations, advocacy groups.
Power and Influence
Who sets the agenda and why?
Power dynamics between stakeholders.
Partnerships
Public-private partnerships in pharmaceuticals, insurance, and infrastructure.
Advocacy and Lobbying
Techniques for influencing health policy (campaigns, media, networks).
Ethics and transparency in advocacy.
Group Exercise: Conduct a stakeholder mapping and power analysis for a proposed mental health policy reform.
Case Study: The role of civil society in HIV/AIDS policy reforms in sub-Saharan Africa.

Module 4: Policy Analysis and Implementation
Policy Analysis Tools
Defining the problem and objectives.
Identifying policy alternatives.
Cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis.
Impact on equity and access.
Policy Implementation Challenges
Bureaucratic delays, weak financing, resistance from professionals, corruption.
The gap between policy design and practice.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Key indicators and performance metrics.
Using data for feedback loops.
Policy Communication
Writing effective policy briefs.
Presenting evidence to policymakers in simple, actionable ways.
Workshop: Draft a two-page policy brief on integrating digital health into national health strategies.
Example: Evaluating the rollout of community health worker policies.

Module 5: Contemporary Issues and Future Directions in Health Policy
Global Health Challenges
Pandemic preparedness and response (e.g., COVID-19).
Climate change and environmental health policies.
Migration and refugee health policy.
Technology and Health Policy
Telemedicine, AI, and data protection in health legislation.
Regulating digital health apps and devices.
Human Rights in Health
Equity and inclusion in healthcare policy.
Gender-sensitive and child-centered policies.
Governance and Accountability
Anti-corruption measures in health systems.
Transparency in resource allocation.
Capstone Project: Teams design a mock legislative proposal on a pressing issue (e.g., tobacco control, antimicrobial resistance, or universal health
coverage). Presentations include stakeholder analysis, budgetary implications, and an implementation plan