What is HPSR?
In this first lesson, let us discuss and understand what health policy and systems research is and what it constitutes.
HPSR aims to help societies organize themselves better to achieve their health goals. It seeks to understand how different actors interact in policy and implementation processes and contribute to the policy process.
HPSR is an applied field, a blend of economics, sociology, anthropology, political science, public health, and epidemiology. [1]
HPSR integrates health policy and health systems concerns in a unified research field by considering that:
- Health policies are the actions through which efforts are made to strengthen health systems with the aim of promoting public health;
- Health policy must have an understanding of how to find expression in the health system;
- A better understanding of the politics of health policy change contributes to understanding how to influence policy and take action to strengthen health systems; and
- A specific focus on policy implementation should be a priority.