Ideas to Action:

Independent research for global prosperity

Global Health Policy

CGD experts discuss such issues as health financing, drug resistance, clinical trials, vaccine development, HIV/AIDS, and health-related foreign assistance.

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Global Health Policy

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Making Markets for Merit Goods

This is a joint post with Josh Busby

Our research on the political economy of antiretrovirals (ARVs) is motivated by a key puzzle: why were AIDS activists and AIDS policy entrepreneurs successful in putting universal access to treatment on the international agenda when so many other global campaigns--whether in health care or other issue areas like climate change--have either failed or struggled to have much impact. In our paper, we make the case that the market for ARVs was politically constructed, meaning that activists had to bring the demand and supply sides of the market together through a variety of tactics and strategies (Tim Bartley makes a similar argument on forest certification schemes).

Motherhood is not a Universal Experience

The difficult birth this week of a new baby girl to one of our staff has reminded us of the stark differences between becoming a mother in the rich world and in the poor world. The difference is not so much that having a baby is without risk for rich-world women: ask your colleagues and neighbors about their own experiences of childbirth and you’ll be surprised how many dramatic stories emerge. In my own case, a flawless pregnancy suddenly turned life-threatening due to pre-eclampsia at 32 weeks gestation.

Achieving the Maternal Health MDG: Momentum is Building but Political Challenges Remain

Of all the Millennium Development Goals, progress on the maternal health goal may be the most disappointing. The target is to reduce by three-quarters between 1990 and 2015 the maternal mortality ratio - the number of deaths per 100,000 live births. A study published last week in The Lancet estimates 535,900 maternal deaths in 2005, only a slight decline since the launch twenty years ago of a Global Safe Motherhood Initiative.

Framing a Health Systems Movement?

On Thursday, Jeremy Shiffman joined Maurice Middleberg (Global Health Council), Anne Tinker (Saving Newborn Lives), and Rachel Nugent (Center for Global Development) at a standing-room only event at the Center to discuss a framework explaining why some health initiatives attract global political priority and others are unable to do so.

US Global AIDS Funding Restored: The Highs and the Lows

How often do you get more money than you ask for? Not that often and probably less so when it has to do with helping poor countries to improve their citizens' health. In a surprising but welcome move on January 29th, the House Appropriations Committee filed their joint continuing resolution for FY 2007 to complete the unfinished federal funding bills for the current fiscal year 07. While most programs were funded at FY06 levels a few "High Priority Needs" were selected for increased investments.