Public-private partnership: A revolution in antenatal health management

Maternal mortality remains one of the most daunting public health problems in resource-poor settings, and reduction in maternal mortality has been identified as a prominent component of Millennium Development Goals (MDG 5)^1,2. The productivity of public health sector in meeting these goals has been rather low, and it is often considered one of the ‘sick unit’. Public-Private Partnership seems to be a ‘treatment’ to this ‘sickness’³. It can play a significant role in determining whether success or failure is achieved in working towards goals for safe motherhood in many low- and middle-income settings. Though established private providers, especially nurses/midwives, have the potential to contribute to safe motherhood practices if they are involved in the care continuum, it is a subject of considerable debate that can or should private organizations provide public healthcare services? What is the scope for private finance in public healthcare services? Therefore this paper reviews some of the arguments for and against public or private ownership management and financing of public healthcare services in the field of antenatal care. It concentrates on health services, where non-economic values and ethical questions are as important as the efficiency considerations, and on health purchasing or funding organizations⁴.