Health Systems Assessment Approach:
A How-to Manual
Setting the Stage for Health Systems Strengthening: What We Have Learned from Doing Over 30 Health Systems Assessments
The HSA approach is an innovative tool designed to provide a rapid yet comprehensive assessment of a country’s health system. With experience in conducting HSAs in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean, presenters will highlight how HSA results are being used to strengthen health systems.
The Health Systems Assessment Approach: A How-To Manual was developed by Health Systems 20/20, Partners for Health Reformplus (PHRplus), Rational Pharmaceutical Management Plus (RPM Plus), and the Quality Assurance Project (QAP). The tool is designed to provide a rapid yet comprehensive assessment of a country's health system.
The approach covers key health systems functions and is organized around WHO’s six health system building blocks: governance; health financing; health service delivery; human resources; medical products, vaccines, and technologies; and health information systems. For more information, read the HSA brief, see a condensed explanation on the HSA postcard.
Download the Manual by Chapter
- Introduction
- Chapter 1. Health Systems Strengthening: An Introduction
- Chapter 2. Overview of the Approach
- Chapter 3. Planning and Conduction the Assessment
- Chapter 4. Synthesizing Findings and Developing Recommendations
- Chapter 5. Core Module
- Chapter 6. Governance Module
- Chapter 7. Health Financing Module
- Chapter 8. Health Service Delivery Module
- Chapter 9. Human Resources Module
- Chapter 10. Pharmaceutical Management Module
- Chapter 11. Health Information System Module
Supplemental Material: Engaging Stakeholders in Health Systems Assessments: A Guide for HSA Teams
Health Systems Database!
This web-based tool allows the user to review country data and prepare an automated country profile as a first step to deciding whether a full assessment using the manual is needed. Customized country data and charts, as well as comparisons with peer countries in the same region or income group, can be generated within minutes.
Download HSA Country Reports
- Southern Sudan Health System Assessment, 2007
- Benin Health System Assessment, 2007
- Vietnam Health System Assessment (2 provinces), 2009
- Nigeria Health System Assessment, 2009
- Senegal Health System Assessment, 2009
- Vietnam Health System Assessment (6 provinces)--Draft, 2010
- Angola Health System Assessment, 2010
- Kenya Health System Assessment, 2010
- Zimbabwe Health System Assessment, 2010
- Lesotho Health System Assessment, 2010
- Tanzania Health System Assessment, 2010
- Guyana Health System Assessment 2010
- Ukraine Health System Assessment, 2011
Upcoming HSA Country Reports
- Antigua
- Cote d'Ivoire
- Dominica
- Ethiopia
- Grenada
- Mozambique
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Uganda



