Independent research & practical ideas for global prosperity

Generating Political Priority for Global Health Initiatives:
A Framework and a Case Study on Maternal Mortality

Jul 19, 2007

Why do some global health initiatives, such as HIV/AIDS and child immunization, receive priority from international and national political leaders while others, such as nutrition, malaria and pneumonia, receive minimal attention despite also addressing high burden conditions? Jeremy Shiffman, CGD visiting fellow and associate professor of public administration at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University, presented a framework for analyzing this issue, consisting of four categories of factors: the capabilities of actors involved in the initiative, the way in which they position the issue, the political opportunities they create and are afforded, and characteristics of the issue itself. Shiffman illustrated the framework by applying it to several cases, including the Global Safe Motherhood Initiative, launched in 1987 to reduce maternal mortality levels.

Maurice Middleberg, Vice President, Public Policy, Global Health Council and Anne Tinker, Director, Saving Newborn Lives, Save the Children served as discussants. Rachel Nugent, Senior Health Program Associate, Center for Global Development, moderated the discussion.

Download Jeremy Shiffman's presentation (pdf, 871K)

Download Anne Tinker's presentation (pdf, 62K)