title: Health policy processes in maternal health: a comparison of Vietnam, India and China.
abstract: This article reports on a comparative analysis to assess and explain the strengths and weaknesses of policy processes based on 9 case-studies of maternal health in Vietnam, India and China. Policy processes are often slow, inadequately coordinated and opaque to outsiders. Use of evidence is variable and, in particular, could be more actively used to assess different policy options. Whilst an increasing range of actors are involved, there is scope for further opening up of the policy processes. This is likely, if appropriately managed with due regard to issues such as accountability of advocacy organisations, to lead to stronger policy development and greater subsequent ownership; it may however be a more messy process to co-ordinate. Coordination is critical where policy issues span conventional sectoral boundaries, but is also essential to ensure development of policy considers critical health system and resource issues. This, and other features related to the nature of a specific policy issue, suggests the need both to adapt processes for each particular policy issue and to monitor the progress of the policy processes themselves. The article concludes with specific questions to be considered by actors keen to enhance policy processes.
authors.affiliation: Nuffield Centre for International Health and Development, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9LJ, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gerein
authors.forename: Tolib
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mirzoev
authors.forename: Philippa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bird
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pearson
authors.forename: Le Vu
authors.initials: le V
authors.lastname: Anh
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Martineau
authors.forename: Maitrayee
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mukhopadhyay
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: K V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Ramani
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Soors
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008429:Maternal Welfare; D011050:Policy Making; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014744:Vietnam