ACADEMY PUBLIC POLICIES

The healthcare sector is crucial for the well-being of any society. Developing innovative public policy solutions is essential to improve healthcare systems and ensure accessibility, efficiency, and quality.

Here are ten tips that can help shape effective healthcare policies.

First, prioritize prevention over treatment. Many health issues can be prevented through education and early intervention. For instance, public health campaigns promoting vaccination and healthy lifestyles can significantly reduce the incidence of diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

Second, encourage community-based healthcare. Implementing policies that support local health initiatives can promote better health outcomes. For example, setting up community health centers can provide essential services to underserved populations, ensuring they receive necessary care close to home.

Third, increase funding for mental health services. Mental health is often neglected in public policies. Increased funding can help expand services and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, making it easier for individuals to seek help.

Fourth, utilize technology effectively. Telemedicine gained considerable traction during the COVID-19 pandemic, showcasing how technology can improve patient access to care. Policies that support telehealth can provide more options for patients and help reduce the burden on physical healthcare facilities.

Fifth, focus on workforce development. A skilled healthcare workforce is vital for an effective system. Policymakers should invest in education and training programs to ensure that healthcare professionals are well-prepared to meet the needs of their communities.

Sixth, promote collaboration among different sectors. Healthcare does not exist in a vacuum; factors like education, housing, and transportation also affect health. Policies that encourage collaboration between healthcare providers, government agencies, and community organizations can result in holistic solutions.

Seventh, ensure transparency in healthcare pricing. Many patients find it challenging to understand healthcare costs, leading to financial stress. Policies that promote price transparency can empower patients to make informed choices and drive competition among providers.

Eighth, address health disparities. Different segments of the population experience healthcare inequities based on factors like race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status. Targeted policies that aim to eliminate these disparities can lead to overall improved health in communities.

Ninth, incentivize research and innovation. Supporting new research initiatives can lead to groundbreaking advancements in healthcare. By funding research in areas such as vaccines and treatments, public policies can help drive innovation that enhances patient care.

Finally, involve community members in policy development. Engaging those affected by healthcare policies in the decision-making process ensures that their needs and preferences are considered, ultimately resulting in more effective policies.

In conclusion, the healthcare sector faces many challenges, but innovative public policy solutions can pave the way for a more efficient and equitable system. By prioritizing prevention, leveraging technology, and ensuring transparency, policymakers can create a more robust healthcare environment that benefits everyone.

References:

Narath Carlile, Robin Williams, Kathrin Cresswell, and Aziz Sheikh. "Journal of Medical Internet Research - Accelerating Innovation in Health Care: Insights From a Qualitative Inquiry Into United Kingdom and United States Innovation Centers." www.jmir.org, 25 Sep. 2020, https://www.jmir.org/2020/9/e19644/.

Sherry, Raphael, Wittenberg, and Avi. "Research in government and academia: the case of health policy | Israel Journal of Health Policy Research | Full Text." ijhpr.biomedcentral.com, 01 Dec. 2018, https://ijhpr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13584-018-0230-3.

Kathryn, Bonell, Jane, Chris, Lorenc, Oliver, and Tinkler. "Understanding the unintended consequences of public health policies: the views of policymakers and evaluators | BMC Public Health | Full Text." bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com, 01 Dec. 2019, https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-019-7389-6.

Isahaque Ali, Azlinda Azman, RB Radin Firdaus, Maslina Mohammed Shaed, Kang Chao, and Md Nazirul Islam Sarker. "Big data-driven public health policy making: Potential for the healthcare industry - PMC." pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, 31 Aug. 2023, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10558940/.

Jamie F Chriqui, and Ross C Brownson. "Understanding Evidence-Based Public Health Policy - PMC." pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, 01 Sep. 2009, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2724448/.

Unknown Author. "Untitled." www.sciencedirect.com, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168851018306341.

Stewart Alford, Linda Fraser, Tracey Silvester, Jennifer Kosiol, and Helen Cooper. "Revolutionising health and social care: innovative solutions for a brighter tomorrow – a systematic review of the literature - PMC." pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, 12 Jul. 2024, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11241933/.

Margaret Chustecki. "Interactive Journal of Medical Research - Benefits and Risks of AI in Health Care: Narrative Review." www.i-jmr.org, 18 Nov. 2024, https://www.i-jmr.org/2024/1/e53616.

The COVID-19 pandemic was not merely a health crisis; it was a global reckoning. It exposed the fragility of health systems, the limits of national preparedness, and the deep inequities embedded in access to care. As the world emerges from the shadow of the pandemic, the concept of health system resilience has taken center stage-not as a theoretical ideal, but as a practical imperative. Resilience now means more than the ability to absorb shocks; it demands transformation, foresight, and a commitment to equity.

This essay explores the evolving architecture of health system resilience in the post-pandemic era. It examines how countries are rebuilding public health infrastructures, investing in mental health, and preparing for future global threats. It interrogates the politics of access to high-cost treatments and the strategic pursuit of vaccine sovereignty. Finally, it considers the rise of cross-border health governance as a necessary response to the transnational nature of health risks.

I. Redefining Resilience: From Recovery to Reinvention

Resilience, once understood as the capacity to return to a previous state after disruption, is now being redefined. Health systems are no longer expected to bounce back-they are expected to evolve. The pandemic revealed that reactive systems are insufficient. What is needed are adaptive systems: ones that anticipate, learn, and reconfigure.

Countries are investing in surveillance infrastructure, digital health platforms, and decentralized care models. The emphasis is shifting from hospital-centric systems to community-based networks. Primary care is being revalorized, not only as a gatekeeper but as a frontline defense. The integration of public health with clinical services is becoming a norm, blurring traditional boundaries and fostering a more holistic approach.

I. Introduction: The State Reimagined

In the early decades of the 21st century, governments around the world began to confront a paradox: while societies were becoming increasingly digital, public institutions remained largely analog. Citizens could order food, hail transport, and manage finances with a few taps on a screen, yet renewing a passport or accessing social services often required navigating opaque bureaucracies, paper forms, and physical queues. The disconnect was not merely technological-it was existential. The legitimacy of the state, its ability to serve, protect, and adapt, was being tested by a digital revolution that moved faster than legislation, regulation, or institutional culture.

Enter the era of smart governance: a paradigm shift that goes beyond digitizing services to rethinking how governments operate, make decisions, and relate to their citizens. At its core, smart governance is about intelligence-not just artificial, but institutional, ethical, and civic. It is about building systems that are not only efficient, but also transparent, inclusive, and resilient. And it is about recognizing that digital infrastructure is no longer a support function-it is a strategic asset, as vital to national sovereignty as energy grids or defense capabilities.

II. From Digitization to Intelligence: A New Administrative Ethos

The first wave of digital transformation in government focused on efficiency. Portals replaced counters, databases replaced filing cabinets, and automation reduced human error. But while these changes improved service delivery, they did not fundamentally alter the logic of governance. Ministries still operated in silos, decisions were reactive rather than predictive, and citizens remained passive recipients of services.

Smart governance marks a second wave-one that embraces interoperability, data integration, and algorithmic decision-making. In this model, public institutions become systems of systems, capable of sharing information across domains, anticipating needs, and responding in real time. A health ministry can coordinate with education and social protection to identify vulnerable populations. A transport authority can optimize routes based on live data from urban sensors. A tax agency can detect fraud patterns using machine learning.

This shift requires more than technology-it demands a new administrative ethos. Public servants must evolve from gatekeepers to facilitators, from rule enforcers to data stewards. Governance becomes less about control and more about coordination. And the citizen is no longer a case number, but a data subject, whose rights, preferences, and feedback shape the system itself.

III. The Rise of AI and Big Data in Public Decision-Making

Artificial intelligence and big data are not just tools-they are new languages of governance. They allow governments to move from descriptive to predictive analytics, from static reports to dynamic dashboards. In health, AI can forecast disease outbreaks based on mobility patterns and climate data. In education, it can personalize learning pathways for students based on performance and behavioral metrics. In urban planning, it can simulate the impact of zoning changes before they are implemented.

But with power comes complexity. AI systems are only as good as the data they are trained on—and public data is often fragmented, outdated, or biased. Moreover, algorithmic decisions can obscure accountability. Who is responsible when a predictive model denies a citizen access to a benefit? How do we audit a system that learns and evolves autonomously?

These questions underscore the need for ethical governance frameworks. Governments must ensure that AI systems are transparent, explainable, and subject to human oversight. They must invest in algorithmic literacy among public officials and citizens alike. And they must treat data not as a commodity, but as a public good, governed by principles of privacy, consent, and equity.

IV. Interoperability: Breaking Down Institutional Silos

One of the most persistent challenges in public administration is the silo effect-the tendency of departments and agencies to operate independently, with little coordination or data sharing. This fragmentation leads to inefficiencies, duplication, and blind spots in policy implementation. A citizen may receive housing support from one agency, but be invisible to another that provides employment services. A child may be enrolled in school, but not flagged for health interventions despite clear indicators of vulnerability.

Interoperability is the antidote. It enables systems to talk to each other, to share data securely and meaningfully, and to build a 360-degree view of the citizen. This does not mean centralizing all data in a single repository, but rather creating standards, protocols, and governance models that allow for seamless integration while respecting privacy and autonomy.

Countries like Estonia have pioneered this approach with their X-Road platform, which allows public and private systems to exchange data securely. Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative integrates data across transport, health, and urban planning to optimize services. Portugal’s Simplex program has made strides in reducing administrative burdens through interoperable digital services.

The lesson is clear: smart governance is not about building bigger systems-it’s about building better connections.

V. Citizen-Centric Design: From Services to Experiences

For decades, public services were designed from the inside out-structured around institutional logic, legal constraints, and administrative convenience. Citizens were expected to adapt to systems, not the other way around. Forms were complex because regulations were complex. Processes were slow because hierarchies were slow. The result was a user experience that often felt alienating, opaque, and indifferent.

Smart governance reverses this logic. It begins with the citizen experience, not the bureaucratic structure. It asks: What does the citizen need? How do they interact with the system? What barriers do they face? The goal is not just to deliver services, but to design journeys—intuitive, seamless, and responsive.

This shift requires a new vocabulary: user-centered design, service blueprints, design thinking, and behavioral insights. Governments are increasingly employing multidisciplinary teams-designers, data scientists, policy analysts-to co-create solutions with citizens. Digital platforms are being tested and iterated based on real user feedback. Interfaces are simplified, language is clarified, and accessibility is prioritized.

Consider the example of the UK’s Government Digital Service (GDS), which transformed dozens of complex services into clear, navigable digital experiences. Or Denmark’s Borger.dk portal, which offers a unified entry point for all citizen interactions with the state. These models show that citizen-centricity is not a luxury-it’s a democratic imperative. When people feel seen, heard, and respected by public systems, trust grows. And trust is the currency of governance.

VI. Ethical Use of Algorithms: Intelligence with Integrity

As governments adopt artificial intelligence to optimize decision-making, a new frontier emerges: algorithmic ethics. Algorithms can be powerful tools for efficiency and prediction, but they also carry risks-bias, opacity, and exclusion. In public governance, these risks are magnified. A flawed algorithm in a retail app may result in a missed discount; in a welfare system, it may deny essential support to a vulnerable family.

Smart governance must therefore be ethical by design. This means embedding principles of fairness, transparency, and accountability into every stage of algorithm development and deployment. It requires rigorous testing for bias, clear documentation of decision logic, and mechanisms for appeal and human oversight.

One promising approach is the use of algorithmic impact assessments, modeled after environmental impact assessments. Before deploying a system, governments evaluate its potential effects on different populations, its compliance with legal standards, and its alignment with public values. Another is the creation of ethics boards or AI ombudspersons, tasked with reviewing controversial uses of technology and ensuring public accountability.

The European Union’s AI Act is a landmark effort in this direction, proposing a risk-based framework for regulating AI systems, with stricter rules for applications in law enforcement, health, and social services. Canada’s Directive on Automated Decision-Making similarly mandates transparency and human oversight for algorithmic systems used in federal services.

But regulation alone is not enough. Ethical governance requires culture-a mindset among public officials that values reflection, humility, and responsibility. It requires education, so that citizens understand how algorithms affect their lives and can demand accountability. And it requires dialogue, so that technology is shaped not just by engineers, but by society.

VII. Digital Infrastructure as Strategic Resilience

In the past, infrastructure referred to roads, bridges, and power grids. Today, it includes cloud platforms, data centers, fiber networks, and cybersecurity protocols. Digital infrastructure is the backbone of smart governance-it enables connectivity, computation, and continuity. And in an era of pandemics, cyberattacks, and geopolitical tension, it is also a pillar of national resilience.

Governments are beginning to treat digital infrastructure as a strategic asset, akin to energy or defense. They are investing in sovereign cloud systems to protect sensitive data, building secure digital identity frameworks, and establishing redundancy protocols to ensure service continuity during crises. They are also rethinking procurement models, moving away from fragmented vendor contracts toward integrated, scalable platforms.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a wake-up call. Countries with robust digital infrastructure were able to pivot quickly-launching emergency benefits, tracking infections, and maintaining public services remotely. Those without struggled to respond, exposing gaps in capacity and coordination.

But resilience is not just technical-it is institutional and civic. A smart government must be able to adapt, learn, and recover. It must have the agility to reconfigure services, the foresight to anticipate disruptions, and the humility to engage citizens in co-creating solutions. Digital infrastructure supports this agility, but it must be governed wisely.

Cybersecurity is a prime example. As public systems become more connected, they also become more vulnerable. Attacks on health databases, election systems, and critical infrastructure are no longer hypothetical-they are routine. Governments must therefore invest not only in firewalls and encryption, but in cyber literacy, incident response, and international cooperation.

Moreover, digital infrastructure must be inclusive. Connectivity gaps—between urban and rural areas, rich and poor, young and old-can deepen inequality. Smart governance must ensure that infrastructure reaches everyone, and that digital services are designed for diverse needs and abilities.

VIII. Competitiveness in the Digital Age

Smart governance is not just about serving citizens-it’s about positioning nations in a competitive global landscape. Countries that master digital transformation gain advantages in innovation, investment, and influence. They attract talent, foster entrepreneurship, and lead in setting global standards.

This is why digital governance is now a key component of national strategy. Governments are creating ministries of digital affairs, appointing chief data officers, and launching national AI strategies. They are benchmarking progress, participating in global forums, and forging alliances around digital rights and standards.

But competitiveness must be balanced with values. A race to digitize without safeguards can lead to surveillance, exclusion, and erosion of rights. Smart governance must be human-centered, value-driven, and globally responsible.

IX. Implementation Challenges: Beyond the Blueprint

While the vision of smart governance is compelling, its implementation is fraught with complexity. Governments face a range of technical, institutional, and cultural barriers that can stall or distort digital transformation efforts.

One major challenge is legacy infrastructure. Many public systems are built on outdated technologies, with fragmented databases, incompatible formats, and rigid architectures. Migrating to modern platforms requires not only financial investment but also careful planning to avoid service disruptions and data loss.

Another obstacle is institutional inertia. Bureaucracies are designed for stability, not agility. Change often encounters resistance from within-due to fear, lack of capacity, or entrenched interests. Public servants may lack the digital skills needed to manage new systems, while leadership may struggle to articulate a coherent transformation strategy.

Procurement processes also pose a challenge. Traditional models favor large, slow-moving contracts that are ill-suited to the iterative nature of digital innovation. Governments must rethink how they engage with vendors, prioritize open standards, and foster ecosystems of innovation that include startups, academia, and civil society.

Moreover, data governance remains a critical issue. Who owns public data? How is it shared, protected, and monetized? Without clear frameworks, digital transformation can lead to fragmentation, misuse, or erosion of public trust.

Finally, there is the challenge of measuring impact. Success in smart governance is not just about launching platforms-it’s about improving lives. Governments must develop metrics that capture outcomes, not just outputs. Are services more accessible? Are decisions more equitable? Is trust in institutions growing?

X. Institutional Reform: Building the Digital State

To overcome these challenges, governments must pursue institutional reform that aligns structures, processes, and cultures with the demands of digital governance.

This begins with leadership. Digital transformation must be championed at the highest levels, with clear mandates, dedicated budgets, and empowered teams. Chief digital officers, data stewards, and innovation units should be embedded across ministries-not as peripheral actors, but as strategic drivers.

Capacity building is equally essential. Public servants need training not only in digital tools, but in agile methods, data ethics, and user-centered design. Recruitment must prioritize interdisciplinary skills, and career paths should reward innovation and collaboration.

Governments must also embrace regulatory agility. Laws and regulations must be adaptable to technological change, without compromising rights or accountability. Sandbox environments, experimental pilots, and iterative policy design can help test new models before scaling them.

Citizen engagement must be institutionalized. Digital transformation is not a technical exercise-it’s a social contract. Citizens should be involved in co-designing services, auditing algorithms, and shaping data policies. Participatory platforms, civic labs, and feedback loops can make governance more responsive and inclusive.

Finally, governments must invest in digital sovereignty. This means ensuring that critical infrastructure, data, and platforms are governed in the public interest, with safeguards against monopolization, surveillance, or foreign interference. Sovereignty does not mean isolation—it means stewardship.

XI. The Future of Governance: Intelligence with Purpose

As we look ahead, the question is not whether governments will digitize-it is how they will do so, and why. Will digital transformation serve efficiency alone, or will it deepen democracy? Will smart systems reinforce existing inequalities, or will they empower the marginalized? Will algorithms be used to predict behavior, or to understand needs?

The answers depend on values. Smart governance must be guided not just by data, but by purpose. It must be rooted in human dignity, social justice, and collective intelligence. Technology can optimize systems-but only values can humanize them.

In this vision, the state becomes a platform for possibility. It enables citizens to co-create solutions, to access services with ease, and to participate meaningfully in public life. It uses data not to control, but to care. It treats digital infrastructure not as a cost center, but as a foundation for resilience, creativity, and trust.

This is not utopia-it is a direction. And it requires courage: to challenge inertia, to embrace complexity, and to govern with humility. The digital age offers tools of unprecedented power. Smart governance is the art of using them wisely.

XII. Conclusion: A New Social Contract

Digital transformation is not a technical upgrade-it is a new social contract. It redefines the relationship between citizen and state, between rights and responsibilities, between data and democracy. It demands that governments become not just smarter, but more human.

The path is not linear. It will involve setbacks, debates, and recalibrations. But the destination is clear: a governance model that is intelligent, ethical, and inclusive. A public sector that learns, listens, and leads. A society where technology serves people-not the other way around.

In this future, the state is not a distant authority-it is a living system. And smart governance is not a trend—it is a promise.

A promise to govern not just with algorithms, but with empathy. Not just with data, but with dignity. Not just with speed, but with soul.

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Worldwide 59.5 million people are displaced –22 million more than a decade ago

Cancer is a large group of diseases that can start in almost any organ or tissue of the body when abnormal cells grow uncontrollably, go beyond their usual boundaries to invade adjoining parts of the body, and/or spread to other organs. The latter process is called metastasizing and is a major cause of death from cancer. A neoplasm and malignant tumour are other common names for cancer.

 Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, accounting for an estimated 9.6 million deaths, or one in six deaths, in 2018. Lung, prostate, colorectal, stomach, and liver cancer are the most common types of cancer in men, while breast, colorectal, lung, cervical, and thyroid cancer are the most common among women.

The cancer burden continues to grow globally, exerting tremendous physical, emotional, and financial strain on individuals, families, communities, and health systems. Many health systems in low- and middle-income countries are least prepared to manage this burden, and large numbers of cancer patients globally do not have access to timely quality diagnosis and treatment. In countries where health systems are strong, survival rates of many types of cancers are improving thanks to accessible early detection, quality treatment, and survivorship care.

• Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020, or nearly one in six deaths.
• The most common cancers are breast, lung, colon and rectum and prostate cancers.
• Around one-third of deaths from cancer are due to tobacco use, high body mass index, alcohol consumption, low fruit and vegetable intake, and lack of physical activity.
• Cancer-causing infections, such as human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis, are responsible for approximately 30% of cancer cases in low- and lower-middle-income countries.
• Many cancers can be cured if detected early and treated effectively.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year. CVDs are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels and include coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease and other conditions. More than four out of five CVD deaths are due to heart attacks and strokes, and one third of these deaths occur prematurely in people under 70 years of age.

The most important behavioural risk factors of heart disease and stroke are unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol. The effects of behavioural risk factors may show up in individuals as raised blood pressure, raised blood glucose, raised blood lipids, and overweight and obesity. These “intermediate risks factors” can be measured in primary care facilities and indicate an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure and other complications.

Cessation of tobacco use, reduction of salt in the diet, eating more fruit and vegetables, regular physical activity and avoiding harmful use of alcohol have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Health policies that create conducive environments for making healthy choices affordable and available are essential for motivating people to adopt and sustain healthy behaviours.

Identifying those at the highest risk of CVDs and ensuring they receive appropriate treatment can prevent premature deaths. Access to noncommunicable disease medicines and basic health technologies in all primary health care facilities is essential to ensure that those in need receive treatment and counselling.

• Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally.
• An estimated 17.9 million people died from CVDs in 2019, representing 32% of all global deaths. Of these deaths, 85% were due to heart attack and stroke.
• Over three-quarters of CVD deaths take place in low- and middle-income countries.
• Out of the 17 million premature deaths (under the age of 70) due to noncommunicable diseases in 2019, 38% were caused by CVDs.
• Most cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by addressing behavioural risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet and obesity, physical inactivity, and harmful use of alcohol.
• It is important to detect the cardiovascular disease as early as possible so that management with counselling and medicines can begin.

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