Public-private partnerships can help poor access health care, reach economic potential

In this Washington Post "Davos Diary" blog entry, Kate Roberts, vice president of corporate marketing, communications and advocacy at PSI, writes about what to expect at the World Economic Forum, beginning on January 25 in Davos, Switzerland. Noting that poor health and access to health care can prevent a growing middle-class population from reaching its "full economic potential," Roberts writes, "The key to changing this scenario will be finding ways to encourage this emerging class of consumers to adopt healthier behaviors, and giving them the means to do so." She says public-private partnerships are critical to solving these issues.

Sustainable programming "requires developing a mutual trust and partnership with local governments, retailers that sell health products, health-care providers and civil society organizations, to form the foundation upon which a solid health system can be built," she writes, concluding, "By working together to create stronger health systems and healthier communities, we can halt billions of dollars in lost productivity every year and turn that capacity into a market that will drive future growth" (1/23).