The Lancet Global Health: Introducing The Lancet Global Health Commission on High-Quality Health Systems in the SDG Era
Margaret E. Kruk, associate professor of global health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Muhammad Pate, CEO of Big Win Philanthropy; Zoë Mullan, editor at The Lancet Global Health

“…Primary health care facilities, which tend to reach the poorest segment of populations, are an important plank in the drive towards achieving the [Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)]. … To galvanize research and action on quality of care in [low- and middle-income countries’ (LMIC)] health systems, The Lancet Global Health has commissioned a major report: The Lancet Global Health Commission on High-Quality Health Systems in the SDG Era (HQSS Commission). … The Commission’s specific aims are to (1) define health system quality, (2) describe quality of care and its distribution across tracer SDG conditions, (3) propose practical measures of quality, and (4) identify structural approaches to improve quality. The work will be underpinned by an exploration of the ethical dimensions of quality, including the right to quality health care and equity. … As countries embark on achieving diverse and ambitious health goals, it is time to think anew about the means at our disposal to improve people’s health. High-quality health systems are indispensable to this agenda…” (May 2017).