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COVID-19
Original Article
COVID-19 and Comparative Health Policy Learning; the Experience of 10 Countries
Azam Raoofi
1, Amirhossein Takian
1,2,3*, Hajar Haghighi
1, Afsaneh Rajizadeh
4, Zeinab Rezaei
5, Samera Radmerikhi
6, Alireza Olyaeemanesh
3,7, Ali Akbari Sari
1,81 Department of Health Management, Policy & Economics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Global Health & Public Policy, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3 Health Equity Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4 Health Services Management Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
5 Department of Food Hygiene and Aquaculture, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
6 Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
7 Department of Health Economics, National Institute of Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
8 Head of the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
*Corresponding Author: *Corresponding Author: Amirhossein Takian, MD, MPH, PhD, FHEA; Chair, Department of Global Health & Public Policy, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Poursina Avenue, Qods Street, Enqelab Square, Tehran, Iran, P.O Box: 1417613151, Phone number: +98 (21) 42933225, E-mail: , Email:
takian@tums.ac.ir
Abstract
Background: Since December 2019, the world has been facing one of the most critical health threats of the last decades. In March 2021, the official number of deaths passed 2.6 million worldwide. Most countries have developed policies to control the disease. Nevertheless, countries have experienced different outcomes related to their various adapted policies. Complementing our first report, in this article, we report our findings of comparing the policies adopted to combat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Iran, with those from nine selected countries, including China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy, to draw evidence-informed policy lessons.
Methods: This is a qualitative study conducted based on document analysis related to COVID-19 policies in Iran and nine selected countries. Using a deductive approach, data were extracted and analyzed based on the components of the WHO Building Blocks Framework. Finally, we compared the Iranian policies with the nine selected countries.
Results: Documents analysis revealed a spectrum of policies, which have led to a variety of outcomes. Based on our findings, three main strategies (widespread testing, comprehensive contact tracing, and timely measures) were the most effective directions to combat COVID-19.
Conclusion: The experience of the first and second waves of COVID-19 showed that the risk of coronavirus is serious and will continue until a vaccine or decisive treatment is achieved. Therefore, countries are required to adopt appropriate and tailored policies to deal with this crisis effectively. Applying the experiences from the previous waves is essential for more efficient performance in the likely upcoming waves.
Cite this article as: Raoofi A, Takian A, Haghighi H, Rajizadeh A, Rezaei Z, Radmerikhi S, et al. COVID-19 and comparative health policy learning; the experience of 10 countries. Arch Iran Med. 2021;24(3):260–272. doi: 10.34172/aim.2021.37.