Solomon Islands Health System Review
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64 Health Systems in Transition Vol. 5 No. 1 2015 Solomon Islands Health System Review Written by: Nicola Hodge, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia Beth Slatyer, Honorary Fellow, Nossal Institute, University of Melbourne Linda Skiller, Australian Bureau of Statistics Edited by: Maxine Whittaker, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia i WHO Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Solomon Islands health system review (Health Systems in Transition, Vol. 5 No. 1 2015) 1. Delivery of healthcare. 2. Health care economics and organization. 3. Health care reform. 4. Health systems plans – organization and administration. 5. Melanesia. I. Asia Pacific Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. II. World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific. ISBN 978 92 9061 693 1 (NLM Classification: WA 540 LM5 ) © World Health Organization 2015 (on behalf of the Asia Pacific Observatory on Health Systems and Policies) All rights reserved. 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The named authors alone are responsible for the views expressed in this publication. ii Contents Preface ................................................................................................................. vii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................ ix List of abbreviations and acronyms ................................................................. x Abstract ................................................................................................................ xii Executive Summary ..........................................................................................xiii 1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 1 Chapter summary ................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Geography and sociodemography ............................................................ 2 1.2 Economic context ........................................................................................ 5 1.3 Political context ........................................................................................... 7 1.4 Health status .............................................................................................. 10 2 Organization and governance ................................................................ 14 Chapter summary ............................................................................................... 14 2.1 Overview of the health system ................................................................ 15 2.2 Historical background .............................................................................. 15 2.3 Organization ............................................................................................... 16 2.4 Decentralization and centralization ....................................................... 22 2.5 Planning ...................................................................................................... 22 2.6 Intersectorality ........................................................................................... 25 2.7 Health information management ........................................................... 25 2.8 Regulation ................................................................................................... 26 2.9 Patient empowerment .............................................................................. 32 3 Financing .................................................................................................... 34 Chapter summary ............................................................................................... 34 3.1 Health expenditure .................................................................................... 35 3.2 Sources of revenue and financial flows ................................................. 41 3.3 Overview of public financing schemes ................................................... 42 3.4 Out-of-pocket payments .......................................................................... 43 3.5 Voluntary health insurance ...................................................................... 45 iii 3.6 Other financing .......................................................................................... 46 3.7 Payment mechanisms .............................................................................. 46 4 Physical and human resources .............................................................. 47 Chapter summary ............................................................................................... 47 4.1 Physical resources .................................................................................... 48 4.2 Human resources ...................................................................................... 56 5 Provision of services ................................................................................ 62 Chapter summary ............................................................................................... 62 5.1 Public health .............................................................................................. 63 5.2 Patient pathways ....................................................................................... 72 5.3 Primary/ambulatory care ......................................................................... 75 5.4 Inpatient care ............................................................................................. 76 5.5 Emergency care ......................................................................................... 77 5.6 Pharmaceutical care ................................................................................. 77 5.7 Rehabilitation/intermediate care ............................................................ 79 5.8 Long-term care .......................................................................................... 79 5.9 Services for informal carers .................................................................... 79 5.10 Palliative care ............................................................................................. 80 5.11 Mental health care .................................................................................... 80 5.12 Dental care ................................................................................................. 81 5.13 Complementary and alternative medicine ............................................ 81 5.14 Health services for specific populations ............................................... 82 6 Principal health reforms ......................................................................... 83 Chapter summary ............................................................................................... 83 6.1 Analysis of recent major reforms ........................................................... 84 6.2 Future developments ................................................................................ 91 7 Assessment of the health system ......................................................... 93 Chapter summary ............................................................................................... 93 7.1 Stated objectives of the health system .................................................. 95 7.2 Financial protection and equity in financing ......................................... 96 7.3 User experience and equity of access to health care .......................... 96 7.4 Health outcomes, health service outcomes and quality of care ..... 102