Health policies in the Balkan Region – overview and chosen examples

Polityki zdrowotne na Bałkanach – przegląd i wybrane przykłady

Abstract: This article is a review of basic information on health policies and an introduction to the issue of their design and implementation in the Balkans. The purpose of this article is to discuss the general characteristics of health policies in the Balkans, the challenges and opportunities related to their determination, and implementation in the region and selected countries. The materials used in the preparation of the article are international publications and source documents regulating the issues raised in selected countries as well as studies of the International Health Organization. The methods used in the course of the work were analysis of source documents and data analysis. The work resulted in an article that concisely introduces the reader to the complex issue of health policies in a region still recovering from the armed conflict of the 1990s. The analysis of this issue indicates a deep differentiation of the undertaken activities and financing tools while emphasizing the similarity and often commonality of solutions. This is due to the level of development of individual countries, their economic capabilities, and the degree of advancement in integration processes with the European Union.

Bibliography:

1. Baruzeri G., Laaser U., The health status of the populations in the Western Balkans region, “South Eastern European Journal of Public Health” 2021, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 1-3.

2. Browne J. et al., Recent research into healthcare professions regulation: a rapid evidence assessment, “BMC Health Services Research” 2021, vol. 21, pp. 1-12, https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-021-06946-8.

3. de Leeuw E., Clavier C., Breton E., Health policy – why research it and how: Health political science, “Health Research Policy and Systems” 2014, vol. 12, no. 55, pp. 1-10.

4. Forman R. et al., Drawing light from the pandemic: Rethinking strategies for health policy and beyond, “Health Policy” 2022, vol. 126, no. 1, pp. 1-6.

5. Gajić-Stevanović M. et al., Health care system of the Republic of Serbia in the period 2004-2012, “Stomatološki Glasnik Srbije” 2014, vol. 61, no. 1, pp. 36-44.

6. Jones C.M., Clavier C., Potvin L., Policy processes sans frontières: Interactions in transnational governance of global health, “Society of Policy Sciences” 2020, vol. 53, no. 1, pp. 161-180.

7. Jones C.M., Clavier C., Potvin L., Adapting public policy theory for public health research: A framework to understand the development of national policies on global health, “Social Sciences and Medicine” 2017, vol. 177, pp. 69-77.

8. Li Han Wong B. et al., The dawn of digital public health in Europe: Implications for public health policy and practice, “The Lancet Regional Health-Europe” 2022, vol. 14, https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanepe/article/PIIS2666-7762(22)00009-6/fulltext.

9. Rütten A. et al., Determinants of health policy impact: a theoretical framework for policy analysis, “Sozial- und Präventivmedizin” 2003, vol. 48, no. 5, pp. 293-300.

10. Shuleta S. et al., The relationship between government health expenditure and economic growth: Evidence from Western Balkan countries, International Journal of Applied Economics, “Finance and Accounting” 2023, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 10-20.

11. Stepovic M. et al., Analysis and forecast of indicators related to medical workers and medical technology in selected countries of Eastern Europe and the Balkans, “Healthcare” 2023, vol. 11, no. 5, pp. 1-12.

12. Tresa E., Czabanowska K. et al., Europeanization of health policy in post-communist European societies: Comparison of six Western Balkan countries, “Health Policy” 2022, vol. 126, no. 8, pp. 816-823.

13. Vončina L. et al., Universal Health Cover Age Study Series, No. 29, Universal Health Coverage in Croatia: Reforms to Revitalize Primary Health Care, 2018, p. 11, https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/773931516167775654/pdf/Universal-health-coverage-in-Croatia-reforms-to-revitalize-primary-health-care.pdf.

14. World Health Organization, Roadmap for Health and Well-being in the Western Balkans (2021-2025): European Programme of Work (2020-2025) – United Action for Better Health, https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/WHO-EURO-2021-3435-43194-60508.

15. World Health Organization, Revitalizing mental health reforms in the Western Balkans after COVID-19, https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/09-11-2022-revitalizing-mental-health-reforms-in-the-western-balkans-after-covid-19.

PDF: Download