Joint HKU-Harvard Executive Programme in Health Sector Reform & Sustainable Financing had been held from May 27 - June 1, 2002 in the Faculty of Medicine Building. The 5 1/2 day programme was specially designed for those senior executives and managers who were involved in the formulation of health policy in both the public (government and parastatial) and private (insurance, medical technology, pharmaceuticals, consulting industries) sectors.

The objective was to provide intensive, state-of-the-art knowledge and training about options for health sector development, lessons learned from practical experience and best practice.

The instructors were the faculty members from the Harvard School of Public Health who were involved in the design and delivery of the World Bank's Flagship Programme on Health Sector Reform and Sustainable Financing (the Flagship Programme) and the facilitators were the experts from the University of Hong Kong. The three instructors were William C .L. Hsiao, K. T. Li Professor of Economic Development and Health, Department of Health Policy and Management, Marc J. Roberts , Professor of Political Economy and Health Policy, Member of the Faculty, Kennedy School of Government, Department of Health Policy and Management and Winnie C. Yip, Associate Professor of International Health Policy and Economics.

The programme focuses on various forms of health care financing options. Topics include the goals of health care financing and the sources of funds to pay for health care services like taxes, obligatory insurance, voluntary insurance and out-of-pocket payment.

A tentative content is worked out for your reference:

The course had received very positive feedback in terms of its overall usefulness, quality of teaching of instructors, overall rating of logistics and administrative support. Evaluation of this course shown that all participants found they had acquired many pieces of new and useful information. 89% of the participants considered the course was very relevant to their current work or functions and therefore provided a deeper and wider perspective of how health care system could best be organized. Some considered it was the first-class course which should be continuously offered. In view of the very positive feedback and the large demand, CHEPA had decided to seek for external funding and offered the course again in the coming five years.

Programme background:
Ageing population, changing demographics, chronic disease epidemiology and larger demand for newer, more costly technologies are the problems that virtually all countries in the world are now facing. Whereas allocation inefficiencies in the financing and provision of health care, inequitable access, unsatisfactory quality and financial shortfalls are the common problems found in the health care system. These kinds of unprecedented momentum exert a lot of pressure on the health care system and a consensus has been made by the general public that there is an urgent need to reform the health care system by re-examining, revising, modifying the existing one.

Hong Kong, Mainland China and other Asian economies are the examples of illustrating the reform of the health care system has been undertaken. The Hong Kong's Health, Welfare and Food Bureau has entered Stage 3 of reviewing the healthcare system to develop implementation plans after public release of the Harvard Report (1999)* and the Consultation Document (2000)** . Recognizing the asymmetric development between the health care system and marketisation of the economy, China's State Council issued the Mandate to Reform and Develop Health Care System in 1997. Other Asian countries have also pursued the same issue. Policymakers in all countries are asking the same question, "what kind of healthcare reform should be followed to provide maximum benefit to the population's health given the fiscal budget constraint?"

To assist in the design of a successful health care policy and to complement the University's mission of serving as a focal point of intellectual and academic endeavour in Hong Kong, China and Asia and acting a gateway and forum for scholarship with the rest of the world*** , the Medical and Health Research Network (MHRN) in collaboration with Harvard's School of Public Health has developed a Joint HKU-Harvard Executive Programme in Health Sector Reform and Sustainable Financing to provide intensive, state-of-the-art knowledge and training about options for health sector development to the senior executives who are involved in the formulation of health care policy. This programme not only assists those senior executives in designing and formulating a newly optimum health care system, but also promotes upgrade their professional skills.

Impact

1. With reference to the Joint HKU-Harvard Executive Programme held in this May, this executive programme will provide:
   larger constituency for health and finance authorities' staff speaking the same language on reforms/financing;
2. an academic environment to share and network with senior policymakers from governments, statutory organizations and large healthcare organizations in East Asian economies; and
3. improved leadership of partner institutes (HKU in this case) in the subject area.

Forthcoming programme:
The similar programme will be offered consecutively for five years from 2003 onwards. For details, please contact Ms Ivy Ching at 2819 9292.

* The Harvard Team, Improving Hong Kong's Health Care System: Why and For Whom, President and Fellows of Harvard College, April 1999|
** Health and Welfare Bureau, Government of the Hong Kong SAR, Lifelong Investment in Health, December, 2000
*** See the University's mission in http://www.hku.hk/acad/mission.html

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