Access to health: how to reduce child and maternal mortality?

Systematic reviews show that access to community-based health services reduces neonatal mortality and still births, but t he effect on maternal mortality is harder to detect. However, the evidence so fr has come from small sample size studies, mainly conducted in Asia and with very little information from Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Only a few studies assess Maternal Neonatal and Child Health (MNCH) services at the community level, and focus on interventions at the level of primary care. More large scale research factoring in specific contexts is particularly needed. Additional investigation on the cost-effectiveness of health services is also required and will help in promoting and scaling up community-based interventions for maternal and newborn care.

Climate change: effective ways of cutting greenhouse gas emissions

There are few rigorous impact evaluations of climate change interventions. But some examples in the field of conservation stand out. A number of recent studies evaluate the impact of protected areas, payment for environmental services and decentralized forest management. Climate change interventions have much to learn from experiences in such fields. Despite the limited experience so far in the area, there are many opportunities to conduct impact evaluation of climate change.

Health insurance for the poor: myth or reality

A growing evidence base suggests that health insurance in poor areas can improve people?s access to health care. But the poorest in these areas do not seem to benefit much. Health insurance programs, generally, have not helped in reaching out to the poorest or improving their health care use. And whether insurance improves health outcomes among the poor remains to be established.

Financing better health care for all

Poor people?s access to good health care is limited because they cannot afford it and often live far from quality services. There is evidence that poor people will pay to use health services if the quality is good. Cash transfers have also been highly successful in encouraging women to use health care. And contracting-out can help to improve coverage.

Running water, working toilets and safe hygiene practices: essential services to save lives

The world is falling behind its targets to improve people's access to sanitation, with major health costs. There is strong evidence that both sanitation and hygiene interventions are highly effective in reducing risks of diarrhoea, however public health promotion appears more cost-effective. More evidence on cost-effectiveness is needed to convince governments to invest more in sanitation.

Water to save lives

Contaminated water is bad for health, resulting in thousands of premature deaths around the world each year. There is strong evidence that household water treatment has the biggest impact and is the most costeffective method in reducing risks of diarrhoea. But the picture is not as clear when it comes to measuring the impact on time savings and other outcomes, nor when it comes to making investments which have a sustainable impact.