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All posts in health systems

Investing in adolescent mental health can deliver long-term benefits

Expanding treatment for depression and anxiety could improve young people’s health and education while generating substantial economic and social returns.

Investing in treatment for adolescent depression and anxiety could generate up to US$15 in economic and social benefits for every US$1 invested, according to research published in…

Systemic barriers could stall progress on adolescent well-being

Study across four countries highlights the systemic changes needed to turn global commitments on adolescent well-being into lasting progress.

Global commitments to improve adolescent well-being are beginning to translate into action, but persistent gaps in funding, cross-sector coordination and data could prevent that progress from being sustained…

Investing in school health could deliver benefits far beyond the classroom

Research across 75 low- and middle-income countries shows how school-based health programmes could improve education while generating substantial health and economic benefits

Investing in school-based health programmes could deliver benefits that extend well beyond improvements in young people’s health, according to research published in Health Policy…

Health workforce reforms could strengthen NCD prevention and care in Meghalaya

Research highlights how better workforce planning, rural incentives and stronger governance could improve access to care in underserved communities.

The study, published in Health Policy and Planning, examines how reforms to the recruitment, training and distribution of health workers could strengthen NCD prevention and care while reducing inequalities in access…

Health Policy and Planning’s Top 10 articles in 2025

By Natasha Salaria (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine)

Health Policy and Planning is an open access journal publishing health policy and systems research focusing on low- and middle-income countries. The journal consists of four sections; Health Systems Research, Health Economics, Health Policy Processes and Implementation Research…

Health services in India’s flood-prone communities rely on invisible support, study finds

Research in Dhubri, India, shows how seasonal flooding, unpaid family labour and poorly adapted community participation shape the delivery of nutrition services. 

A new study has highlighted how local health systems in Dhubri, Assam, are shaped by the Brahmaputra River, informal support networks and the everyday realities of communities living…

Global review explores how politics shapes health systems

Scoping review identifies growing use of political economy analysis to help design fairer and more effective health systems

A new review has found that understanding politics, power and institutions is essential for explaining why some health policies succeed while others fail, highlighting the growing role of political economy analysis in…

Iran’s health system needs long-term planning to withstand prolonged crises, study finds 

A new study examining Iran’s health policymaking under prolonged economic sanctions and the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the importance of anticipating risks and building resilience into health policies before crises occur 

A new study examining Iran’s health policymaking under prolonged economic sanctions and the COVID-19 pandemic highlights…

Informal governance can help deliver health services but may deepen inequalities, study finds 

Bachera Aktar’s research shows how people in informal settlements in Dhaka, Bangladesh, access public health services through local networks and community relationships, and how these arrangements can both help address and deepen existing inequality. 

When formal health systems do not reach everyone, people often rely on personal relationships…

Major Nigerian radio campaign failed to sustain rise in contraception uptake, study finds 

A major radio campaign promoting family planning in Northern Nigeria failed to produce lasting increases in contraception uptake despite reaching millions of listeners.

A woman holding her contraceptive at the Badarawa Primary Health Care Centre in Kaduna, Nigeria, © UNPFA Nigeria / Seyi Fashina

The study was led by&nbsp…