Health Systems Leapfrogging in Emerging Economies

The report advocates for 'leapfrogging' in emerging economies' health systems by moving from transactional public-private partnerships to a multi-stakeholder ecosystem approach. It identifies a 'triple opportunity'—disruptive technology, increased health investment, and lower sunk costs—to build resilient systems. The document outlines four ecosystem models (build-up, platform, exchange place, and program) and emphasizes financial sustainability through innovative financing like results-based funding and social impact bonds.

• Emerging economies face a 'dual burden' of communicable diseases and rising non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as cancer and diabetes, which makes replicating the traditional development path of developed economies financially untenable.
• Emerging economies have a 'triple opportunity' to leapfrog: access to disruptive technologies, a significant increase in health expenditures (projected to reach 33 percent of global health expenditures by 2024), and fewer sunk costs in existing infrastructure compared to developed nations.
• Traditional public-private partnerships (PPPs) are often too transactional and task-oriented, leading to a lack of innovation, mistrust, and potential financial inefficiency, as seen in a Lesotho hospital project that consumed 51 percent of the national public health budget.
• The proposed 'ecosystem approach' shifts the focus from outsourcing specific tasks to mobilizing multiple stakeholders around a common outcome, such as reducing maternal mortality, using collective design and new business models.
• Financial sustainability in health ecosystems can be achieved through innovative structures including co-financing, results-based financing, social impact bonds, and the creation of new revenue streams like tiered pricing or commercializing non-health products.
• The report defines four ecosystem models for leapfrogging: 'Build-up' (supporting a specific innovation like the Odón Device), 'Platform' (a core hub like Philips’ Community Life Centers), 'Exchange place' (data/idea sharing like MalariaGEN), and 'Program' (a package of reinforcing innovations).
• Implementation of leapfrogging programs in Nigeria (Ogun State) and Kenya (6 County Initiative) demonstrate the model's potential; the Ogun State program is projected to provide health coverage to over 100,000 people by 2018.
• The Global Financing Facility (GFF) serves as an example of a new generation of partnerships, utilizing results-based financing and a multi-stakeholder platform to address maternal and child mortality.

APA

World Economic Forum (2016). Health Systems Leapfrogging in Emerging Economies. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Health_Systems_Leapfrogging_Emerging_Economies_report.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Health Systems Leapfrogging in Emerging Economies. 2016. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Health_Systems_Leapfrogging_Emerging_Economies_report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Health Systems Leapfrogging in Emerging Economies |date=May 2016 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Health_Systems_Leapfrogging_Emerging_Economies_report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2016health, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Health Systems Leapfrogging in Emerging Economies}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2016}, month = may, url = {http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Health_Systems_Leapfrogging_Emerging_Economies_report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }