The Global and Domestic Politics of Health Policy in the Emerging Nations: Call for Papers

[Jeronimo Fabiani]

Begin forwarded message:   Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law   Call for Papers   The Global and Domestic Politics of Health Policy in the Emerging Nations   In the past two decades, developing nations have become increasingly integrated into the global political and economic system. While several nations have successfully reformed their political, economic, and health policies, many are still dependent on the international community for financial and technical assistance. Nevertheless, in recent years a group of emerging nations, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (a.k.a., the BRICS) as well as Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Vietnam, and more, appear to have become less dependent on international assistance, mainly because of their heightened economic growth and geopolitical influence.   This special series of the Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law (JHPPL) seeks to understand the global and domestic politics of health policy in these emerging nations. Attention is given to the evolutionary relationship between international institutions, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank, and the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria, and domestic policy-makers, as well as the role of domestic actors and nongovernmental organizations. Both global health governance mechanisms and the role that civil society plays in transforming these linkages, and in domestic affairs, for equitable agenda setting, policy-making, and regulation are of particular interest.   More specifically, this special series is guided by two areas of scholarly inquiry: First, what are the international and domestic linkages related to heath policy in the emerging nations, and how have these linkages transformed in the past two decades? What are the respective roles of global and domestic institutions in health policy in these nations? And how does the health policy of these nations affect global health policy? For example, do international institutions, such as the WHO, the World Bank, and the Global Fund, employ conditionality or other coercive measures to influence health policy and are they successful in doing so? Or do these international institutions recognize the rising influence and autonomy of emerging nations and, consequently, are they seeking new types of partnerships with them for health policy? How much, if any, influence do global actors and norms have on the domestic health politics and policy in emerging nations? How do the “natural experiments” with health policy in emerging nations influence health policy in other countries and at the global level? How are political leaders in these nations shifting their relationship with international institutions? What can we learn from the evolution of health politics and policy in these emerging nations and how might these findings inform the global and domestic health policy of other countries?   Second, given the growing importance of domestic actors, including national governments and civil society, in these emerging countries, how do these entities create and shape health policy in the emerging countries. What is the nature of linkages between international institutions, international non-governmental organizations (e.g., Medicines Sans Frontieres), and other domestic institutions, including national governments and how does this shape health policy? Civil society - such as NGOs, CBOs (Community Based Organizations), and social health movements dedicated to health policy – are of special interest. For example, in addition to examining their evolutionary role in advocating and pressuring for reform, is civil society working closely with international institutions to influence domestic agenda-setting, policy-making, and regulation?   How has the role of national governments in health policy evolved in the emerging nations and what lessons does this provide for global health governance and domestic health policy in other countries? Who, if anyone, is monitoring domestic health policy and holding national governments to account? Given that NGOs and social health movements – as well as democratization processes - are emerging in these nations, one might expect to find wide variation in civil societal strategies and influence. What role, if any, have democratizing processes played in shaping domestic health policy in these emerging nations?   Authors submitting manuscripts for this special series may focus on any of these areas of scholarly inquiry. Contributors should also feel free to address any type of health policy question in these emerging countries or global governance issue. With regards to case selection, authors may either investigate one particular nation, compare several of the emerging nations or focus at the global level.     Submission Guidelines and Timeline   Contributors to this special series will be asked to submit research articles, critical essays and shorter commentary in accordance with JHPPL’s editorial guidelines. All submissions should be sent to the co-editors of this special series: Dr. Eduardo J. Gómez of Rutgers University at edg...@gmail.com; and Dr. Jennifer Prah Ruger of Yale University at jennife...@yale.edu. Please feel free to contact the co-editors with any questions.   With regards to timeline, all manuscript submissions are due by June 1, 2013. The Editor-in-Chief will them meet with the special series editors to select manuscripts for full consideration. The selected manuscripts will then be sent out for peer review. We anticipate that final publication decisions will be made and the issue will be published online ahead of print by September 2014 with in print publication to follow by December 2014.