Political Impetus: Towards a Successful Agenda-Setting for Inclusive Health Policies in Low- and Middle-Income Countries; Comment on “Shaping the Health Policy Agenda: The Case of Safe Motherhood Policy in Vietnam”

• Main Authors: Xiaoguang Yang, Xu Qian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kerman University of Medical Sciences 2016-04-01
• Series: International Journal of Health Policy and Management
• Subjects: Inclusive Policy; Political Impetus; Maternal Health; Vietnam
• Online Access: http://www.ijhpm.com/pdf_3155_06db40702ab56ff1a27679bb9373e42b.html

Agenda-setting is a crucial step for inclusive health policies in the low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Enlightened by Ha et al manuscript, this commentary paper argues that ‘political impetus’ is the key to the successful agenda-setting of health policies in LMICs, though other determinants may also play the role during the process. This Vietnamese case study presents a good example for policy-makers of other LMICs; it offers insights for contexts where there are limited health resources and poor health performance. Further research which compares various stages of the health policy process across countries, is much needed.