Close-up photo of a notebook with notes in it.

What is HPSR?

Health policy and systems research (HPSR) seeks to understand and improve how societies organize themselves in achieving collective health goals, and how different actors interact in the policy and implementation processes to contribute to policy outcomes.

The Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research defines HPSR as interdisciplinary – a blend of economics, sociology, anthropology, political science, public health and epidemiology that together draw a comprehensive picture of how health systems respond and adapt to health policies, and how health policies can shape, and be shaped by, health systems and the broader determinants of health.

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What is health policy and systems research and how can it strengthen health systems?

Health Systems Global together with the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research collaborated to create this short film outlining the field of HPSR and the role it can play in strengthening health systems around the world.