This brief introduces the social determinants of health (SDOH) concept and terminology, and discusses approaches to addressing SDOH. Understanding these root causes of health inequities and their impact on health care access, quality, and equity is crucial to strengthening health systems.

This brief introduces collaborative learning as an effective approach to support sustainable health system strengthening. Collaborative learning brings together local leaders and experts to learn from one another, problem-solve, co-create new knowledge, and adapt and apply their learning.

Two years ago, as it struggled to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus and get people vaccinated, the Government of Jamaica turned to private health care providers for help. The results went well beyond its expectations.

In the wake of recent political conflicts and global sanctions, Afghan women once again have access to family planning and maternal and child health products, thanks to the devoted efforts of a private social marketing organization.

This learning brief captures LHSS’s experience in supporting municipal-level partners through the contracting process and distills emerging lessons to inspire other municipalities to pursue public-private partnerships as a vehicle for expanding access to urban PHC services.

This brief presents what LHSS has learned through applying a systems thinking approach to its support for HSCs’ advocacy efforts in expanding PHC services in urban Bangladesh.

The COVID-19 pandemic placed extraordinary stress on the Kyrgyz Republic’s health system and health care providers, revealing the need for new approaches that would address the immediate needs brought on by the pandemic and contribute to the country’s health system resilience.

This brief presents the achievements of two NGOs that received grants to conduct risk communication and community engagement work under the LHSS Project in the Kyrgyz Republic. It examines the grants’ capacity strengthening impact on the two organizations, describes lessons learned, and provides recommendations for donors, implementing partners, and local government partners implementing similar programs.

This brief presents work completed under the LHSS Kyrgyz Republic Activity Intervention 4: Enhance Cold Chain System. LHSS worked with key government stakeholders, including the Republican Center of Immunoprophylaxis, to digitalize and update components of the country’s vaccine registry and complement these updates by adding additional functionalities for cold chain tracking and management.

This two-pager focuses on USAID’s Learning Question 5, “What are effective and sustainable mechanisms or processes that enable the participation of private sector, civil society, and public organizations in developing locally-led solutions to improve high-performing health care, especially for poor and vulnerable populations? What enables the effective participation or leadership of marginalized populations themselves in the development and implementation of these solutions? Under what conditions is this participation different?”

New capacities in delivering remote care are saving lives and strengthening Ukraine's health system resilience. 

With a grant from LHSS, the Jamaican health care firm Online Medics is supporting the government’s COVID-19 vaccination effort while gaining valuable new business capacities. “LHSS allowed me to think in the long term – where I wanted my company to go and what I need to do to get it there,” says owner Alex Tracey.

Ukraine prioritizes telemedicine as part of its comprehensive health reform to increase transparency of health service provision, expand access to quality health services, and enhance efficiency in the health sector.

This brief highlights learnings from working with local government leaders of two city corporations and ten district-level municipalities from the Rajshahi and Sylhet divisions in Bangladesh.

USAID launched the Inclusive Health Access Prize (IHAP) to recognize five private innovators working to improve the accountability, affordability, accessibility, and reliability of health care for poor and vulnerable populations. This brief captures lessons on supporting innovative health businesses.