Sara Bennett
Associate Professor
Research and Professional Experience
My background is in politics and economics, and I have a broad interest in health systems having previously studied issues in health financing, the role of the private sector, health worker motivation, changing roles of government and the impact of global health initiatives on health systems.
Currently I am interested in understanding and addressing some of the institutional and capacity challenges in promoting stronger governance for health in developing countries. For example, my current work includes an analysis of alternative organizational structures for housing policy advisory functions for ministries of health, an assessment of the institutionalization of the Gates Foundation funded, Avahan project in India, and an analysis of processes through which policy on community case management has been developed in select Sub-Saharan African countries. I am particularly interested in exploring means to promote the use of evidence in the policy process, understanding how capacity development strategies can be more effective and the nature of learning in health systems. I am currently the CEO of the Future Health Systems consortium.
I am an editor of Health Policy and Planning; a board member of the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, WHO; a member of the WHO Advisory Committee on Health Research and Chair of the Wellcome Trust, African Institutions Initiative, Advisory Committee.
Keywords
health systems; capacity development; evidence-to-policy; policy networks; intersectoral action
Selected Publications
Bennett S,. Corluka A., Doherty J. Et al (2011) Influencing policy change: the experience of health think tanks in low- and middle-income countries. Health Policy and Planning
Bennett S., Agyepong I., Sheikh K. Et al (2011) Building the Field of Health Policy and Systems Research: An Agenda for Action PLOS Med.
Gilson L., Hanson K., Sheikh K., Agyepong I., Ssengooba F. and Bennett S. (2011) Building the Field of Health Policy and Systems Research: Social Science Matters PLOS Med.
Sheikh K. Gilson L., Agyepong I., Hanson K., Ssengooba F. and Bennett S (2011) Building the Field of Health Policy and Systems Research: Framing the Questions PLOS Med.
Bennett S, Ozawa S, Rao K. (2010) Which Path to Universal Coverage?: Perspectives on the World Health Report 2010 PloS Med doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001001
Bennett S, Ssengooba F (2010) Closing the Gaps: From Science to Action in Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health in Africa. PLoS Med 7(6): e1000298. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000298
Ranson K, Chopra M., Atkens S., Dal Poz M.R. and Bennett S. (2010) What are research priorities for human resources for health in low and middle income countries. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 88:435-443. doi: 10.2471/BLT.09.066290.
Ranson K., Law T. and Bennett S. (2010) Establishing health system financing research priorities in developing countries using a participatory methodology. Social Science and Medicine 70(12): 1933-1942.
Hoffman S., Lavis J and Bennett S. (2009) The use of research evidence in two international organisations’ recommendations about health systems Healthcare Policy 5(1) 2009: 66-86.
Ranson M. and Bennett S. (2009) Priority setting and health policy and systems research Health Research Policy and Systems 7(27):
Bennett S., Adam T., Zarowsky C et al (2008) From Mexico to Mali: Progress in Health Policy and Systems Research The Lancet 372(9649): 1571-1578.
Chopra M., Munro S., Lavis J., Vist G. and Bennett S., (2008) Effects of policy options for human resources for health: an analysis of systematic reviews. The Lancet 23;371(9613):668-74.
McCoy D., Bennett S., Witter S. et al (2008) Salaries and Incomes of Health Workers in Sub-Saharan Africa The Lancet 371(9613):675-81.
