Learning health systems: pathways to progress
Kabir Sheikh
Abstract
Learning – at individual, team, organization and crossorganization levels – is fundamental to health systems strengthening and the achievement of health goals. Yet, many health systems, especially in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), still do not have adequate capacity to generate and use the knowledge that they need to be effective. Investments in learning activities tend to be a remarkably small proportion of overall investments in health programmes and systems, and learning-focused activities have historically not found place or favour in budgets when compared with other health system priorities. Why is learning so neglected? One explanation is that the many pressures on health systems crowd out the “softer” work of learning, which is perceived as having less immediate or predictable benefits. Another is that the conceptualization of a learning health system, its benefits and how it can be built have not been well articulated. This report, therefore, makes the case for such systems.