Industrial development as a social determinant of health: building productive synergies

Oak Seminar Room (Wilson Building)

Industrial development as a social determinant of health: building productive synergies

Presented by: Dr Paula Tibandebage and Professor Maureen Mackintosh

Date: 3 October 2018

Venue: Oak Seminar Room (Wilson Building)

Time: 12:00-14:00 (Lunch: 12:00pm – 12:30pm)

Abstract:

The landmark report from the Commission on the Social Determinants of Health, Closing the Gap in the Generation, pointed to several paths by which industrial development influences health status and health equity in low and middle income countries. Extending these arguments, this paper presents a framework for identifying and strengthening some of the dynamic interactions between local industrialisation and the health sector, and makes a case for the importance of these interactions with specific reference to African evidence and policy. The framework draws on evolutionary industrial economics and on health systems research. The impact of the market dynamics between the health sector and industrial innovation can, as is well understood, be positive or negative, blocking or promoting health care access and improvement while incentivising or blocking market access for innovative industrial provision. We draw some lessons for policy and practice from Indian experience, while focusing particularly on deepening industrial-health linkages within the sub-Saharan African sub-continent, nationally and particularly within regional markets, to benefit health system innovation and access.

Speaker Bios

Dr Paula Tibandebage has over 20 years of experience in policy research, specializing in issues of social protection and social services provisioning. Currently she is a Senior Research Associate with REPOA, a non-government policy research institute in Tanzania, and also working as an independent consultant. Previously was Principal Researcher at the same institute, and before that Senior Researcher at the Economic and Social Research Foundation, another policy research institute in Tanzania.

Maureen Mackintosh is Professor of Economics at the Open University. She is a development economist, specialising in the economics of markets for health care and medicines, with particular reference to African health systems. She is currently PI on a collaborative research project with Tanzanian, Kenyan and Indian colleagues called “GCRF Inclusive societies: How to link industrial and social innovation for inclusive development: lessons from tackling cancer care in Africa“, funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council. Recent publications with Paula Tibandebage include Mackintosh, M. Banda, G. Tibandebage P and Wamae , W. (eds) (2016) Making Medicines in Africa: the Political Economy of Industrializing for Local Health Palgrave Macmillan open-access; and Mackintosh M. Mugwagwa J. Banda G. Tunguhole J. Tibandebage P. Wangwe S. Karimi Njeru, M. (2018) Health-industry linkages for local health: reframing policies for African health system strengthening. Health Policy and Planning advance open access.