PGZ2025 Public Health Policy
All cases, lectures and training lectures
Year 2 Prevention and Health
Maastricht University
,Content
Lecture Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 4
Case 1: The (public) health system ................................................................................................................... 9
Lecture Public and occupational health policy ................................................................................................ 27
Case 2: Public Health Policymaking ................................................................................................................ 39
Lecture Different approaches to policy making .............................................................................................. 57
Case 3: Rational policy making: The Lancet EAT commission .......................................................................... 64
Lecture Economics of PH: is it worth investing in promotion and prevention? ............................................... 81
Case 4 Priority setting in occupational health: rational policy making? .......................................................... 92
Lecture Model of health policy making: the political approach .................................................................... 107
Case 5: The political arena is not a market but a polis .................................................................................. 116
Case 6 Use of symbols and numbers to convince in the stage of agenda setting: vaccination, it’s
complicated… ............................................................................................................................................... 134
Lecture Institutional theory, path dependency and historical institutionalism ............................................. 151
Case 7: Introduction to institutional theory ................................................................................................. 158
Lecture Cross country comparison of mental health problems and stigmatization ....................................... 171
Lecture mental health from a public health perspective .............................................................................. 178
Case 8 Dare to compare in mental health: translation issues ....................................................................... 184
Lecture Policy vs. practice: policy formulation and implementation ............................................................ 200
Case 9-Policy vs. practice: implementation issues ........................................................................................ 209
Lecture policy evaluation ............................................................................................................................. 221
Case 10 Public Health Policy Evaluation options: an overview ..................................................................... 229
Lecture Cooperation, negotiation and project management in PH settings .................................................. 252
Case 11: Cooperation and negotiation in Public Health ................................................................................ 260
Lecture Leadership ....................................................................................................................................... 271
Case 12 PH management or leadership? ...................................................................................................... 278
Lecture Wrap up & responsive ..................................................................................................................... 296
Lecture Training 1: Mapping health systems/stakeholder analysis of public health system ......................... 302
Lecture Training 2: Policy analysis according to the rational and political approach ..................................... 307
,Lecture Training 3: Transferability of interventions, dare to compare .......................................................... 312
Lecture Training 5: Writing a research proposal for a policy evaluation ....................................................... 319
Lecture English language center: writing a research proposal ...................................................................... 322
, Lecture Introduction
3 approaches of policy making: what are differences and similarities
Policy = a deliberate course of (in-)action selected from available alternatives to achieve a certain
outcome. (Written of unwritten plan)
Public health and policy
Definition Oxford textbook: “Public health is the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life
and promoting health through the organized efforts of society”
• Goal: biologic, physical, mental well-being of all members of society
Public Health (whole population) (clinical) health care (doctor-individual relation)
Public health functions
• PH identifies, measures, and monitors community health needs through surveillance of
disease and risk factor trends (information)
• PH formulates, promotes and enforces sound health policies, e.g.
• Policies requiring reporting of highly transmissible diseases and health threats to the
community
• Control of hazards
• Promote healthy behaviour etc (smoking).
Also:
• PH should influence politics
• Effective planning, management and administration is necessary to keep track on the
diseases
PH policy makes a difference
10 indicators of Public Health policy performance
• Tobacco
• Alcohol
• Food and nutrition
• Fertility, pregnancy and childbirth Child health
• Infectious diseases
• Hypertension detection and treatment
• Cancer screening
• Road safety
• Air pollution
→ NL ranks 5th of EU of scores for health policy performance
More cohesion and self expression value in a country were the main indicators associated with
higher scores, so overall performance.
Road safety: example
Obligation to wear safety belts in cars implemented in many countries in the past decades (e.g. NL: in
front since 1976, in back since 1992)
25-48% reduction in lethal car accidents
→ Influence of PH measure on mortality.
The Netherlands vs. Sweden
• In the Netherlands
All cases, lectures and training lectures
Year 2 Prevention and Health
Maastricht University
,Content
Lecture Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 4
Case 1: The (public) health system ................................................................................................................... 9
Lecture Public and occupational health policy ................................................................................................ 27
Case 2: Public Health Policymaking ................................................................................................................ 39
Lecture Different approaches to policy making .............................................................................................. 57
Case 3: Rational policy making: The Lancet EAT commission .......................................................................... 64
Lecture Economics of PH: is it worth investing in promotion and prevention? ............................................... 81
Case 4 Priority setting in occupational health: rational policy making? .......................................................... 92
Lecture Model of health policy making: the political approach .................................................................... 107
Case 5: The political arena is not a market but a polis .................................................................................. 116
Case 6 Use of symbols and numbers to convince in the stage of agenda setting: vaccination, it’s
complicated… ............................................................................................................................................... 134
Lecture Institutional theory, path dependency and historical institutionalism ............................................. 151
Case 7: Introduction to institutional theory ................................................................................................. 158
Lecture Cross country comparison of mental health problems and stigmatization ....................................... 171
Lecture mental health from a public health perspective .............................................................................. 178
Case 8 Dare to compare in mental health: translation issues ....................................................................... 184
Lecture Policy vs. practice: policy formulation and implementation ............................................................ 200
Case 9-Policy vs. practice: implementation issues ........................................................................................ 209
Lecture policy evaluation ............................................................................................................................. 221
Case 10 Public Health Policy Evaluation options: an overview ..................................................................... 229
Lecture Cooperation, negotiation and project management in PH settings .................................................. 252
Case 11: Cooperation and negotiation in Public Health ................................................................................ 260
Lecture Leadership ....................................................................................................................................... 271
Case 12 PH management or leadership? ...................................................................................................... 278
Lecture Wrap up & responsive ..................................................................................................................... 296
Lecture Training 1: Mapping health systems/stakeholder analysis of public health system ......................... 302
Lecture Training 2: Policy analysis according to the rational and political approach ..................................... 307
,Lecture Training 3: Transferability of interventions, dare to compare .......................................................... 312
Lecture Training 5: Writing a research proposal for a policy evaluation ....................................................... 319
Lecture English language center: writing a research proposal ...................................................................... 322
, Lecture Introduction
3 approaches of policy making: what are differences and similarities
Policy = a deliberate course of (in-)action selected from available alternatives to achieve a certain
outcome. (Written of unwritten plan)
Public health and policy
Definition Oxford textbook: “Public health is the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life
and promoting health through the organized efforts of society”
• Goal: biologic, physical, mental well-being of all members of society
Public Health (whole population) (clinical) health care (doctor-individual relation)
Public health functions
• PH identifies, measures, and monitors community health needs through surveillance of
disease and risk factor trends (information)
• PH formulates, promotes and enforces sound health policies, e.g.
• Policies requiring reporting of highly transmissible diseases and health threats to the
community
• Control of hazards
• Promote healthy behaviour etc (smoking).
Also:
• PH should influence politics
• Effective planning, management and administration is necessary to keep track on the
diseases
PH policy makes a difference
10 indicators of Public Health policy performance
• Tobacco
• Alcohol
• Food and nutrition
• Fertility, pregnancy and childbirth Child health
• Infectious diseases
• Hypertension detection and treatment
• Cancer screening
• Road safety
• Air pollution
→ NL ranks 5th of EU of scores for health policy performance
More cohesion and self expression value in a country were the main indicators associated with
higher scores, so overall performance.
Road safety: example
Obligation to wear safety belts in cars implemented in many countries in the past decades (e.g. NL: in
front since 1976, in back since 1992)
25-48% reduction in lethal car accidents
→ Influence of PH measure on mortality.
The Netherlands vs. Sweden
• In the Netherlands
