ABSTRACT
The fact that health policy affects the living conditions and life chances of people is not new. What is new today is an effort to make the impact of health policies explicit and, where necessary and possible, to alter the policies in the direction of emerging health paradigms. Health policy is an integral part of development, which is guided by sound governance. Strengthening core public health functions by reforming policies and institutions has become a significant element in development governance, and the Millennium Development Goals “provide a chance to refocus health policy on health outcomes and the major determinants, core interventions, and delivery strategies” (Wagstaff and Claeson, 2004: 45).
