Corruption in Health Systems: The Conversation Has Started, Now Time to Continue it Comment on "We Need to Talk About Corruption in Health Systems".

Hongsheng S Lu,Bing X Ho,J Jaime Miranda

doi:10.15171/ijhpm.2019.104

Abstract

Holistic and multi-disciplinary responses should be prioritized given the depth and breadth through which corruption in the healthcare sector can cover. Here, taking the Peruvian context as an example, we will reflect on the issue of corruption in health systems, including corruption with roots within and outside the health sector, and ongoing efforts to combat it. Our reflection of why corruption in health systems in settings with individual and systemic corruption should be an issue that is taken more seriously in Peru and beyond aligns with broader global health goals of improving health worldwide. Addressing corruption also serves as a pragmatic approach to health system strengthening and weakens a barrier to achieving universal health coverage and Sustainable Development Goals related to health and justice. Moreover, we will argue that by pushing towards a practice of normalizing the conversation about corruption in health has additional benefits, including expanding the problematization to a wider audience and therefore engaging with communities. For young researchers and global health professionals with interests in improving health systems in the early career stages, corruption in health systems is an issue that could move to the forefront of the list of global health challenges. This is a challenge that is uniquely multi-disciplinary, spanning the health, economy, and legal sectors, with wider societal implications.

Highlights

Tracing Corruption to its Source, Towards a Horizontal Rather Than Vertical Enforcement of Health Systems Integrity Addressing corruption at the health systems level requires the support of “champions,” individuals committed to reducing corruption and in key positions to influence, and the identification of the foundations of health systems corruption
Due to the short duration of political terms, Dr Patricia Garcia, former Minister of Health of Peru, believes it’s “hard to try to do things in such a short time [due to political turnover], [so] it’s important to build roots for whatever will come next.”[1]. During her tenure as Minister of Health and in her work today, Dr Garcia has championed the cause of reducing corruption in the Peruvian health system
Champions are needed to start with, but champions alone will not suffice, and programs raising consciousness about institutional corruption would serve to improve health professionals’ ability to see changes and improvements. Those programs can serve to monitor and refine institutional changes by being able to better document the impact of corruption on current health systems, and the responses provided to it

Summary

Introduction

Tracing Corruption to its Source, Towards a Horizontal Rather Than Vertical Enforcement of Health Systems Integrity Addressing corruption at the health systems level requires the support of “champions,” individuals committed to reducing corruption and in key positions to influence, and the identification of the foundations of health systems corruption.

Results

Conclusion