Public-Private Partnerships

In many countries, the public, private nonprofit and private for-profit health sectors have coexisted for decades. Today many organizations are increasingly forming partnerships to effectively deliver a shared vision.

Public Sector

The public sector includes local, district, state, provincial or national governments. Public sector partners provide the partnership with needed public health goals, funding, training, and quality standards.

Nonprofit Private Sector

The nonprofit private sectors include NGO’s, PVO’s and community based organizations that do not have a profit-making motive. Rather, they are involved in development and humanitarian work and any surplus earning are used to improve services to the community.

For-Profit Private Sector

The for-profit private sectors are organizations whose motive is to make a profit. These include private physician associations, private hospitals and the private commercial sectors engaged in manufacturing and distribution (i.e. pharmaceutical companies, medical devices companies, health management organizations etc.).

A Public Private Partnership (PPP) is defined as “two or more entities from the public and private sectors that engage in a joint endeavor to achieve common health goals and objectives”. Health partnerships between the public and private sectors can health ensure increased access to quality services by all segments of the population.