SPARKS Network – Health and Social Protection Action Research & Knowledge Sharing

1. First SPARKS consulation report: Rationale, objectives and work plan from the December 2016 meeting held at Karolinska Institutet.

2. Second SPARKS meeting summary: A short summary from the 2nd SPARKS meeting that took place May 30th and 31st 2018 at Karolinska Institutet.

3. SPARKS Progress Report: The current status of all SPARKS related activities from inception until May 2018.

4. World Social Protection Report 2017-19: The World Social Protection Report 2017-19 provides a global overview of recent trends in social protection systems, including social protection floors. Based on new data, it offers a broad range of global, regional and country data on social protection coverage, benefits and public expenditures on social protection.

5. Tuberculosis patient cost surveys: a handbook:This handbook builds on lessons learned from surveys implemented 2015-2017 and advice provided by the Global task force on TB patient cost surveys. It provides a standardized methodology for conducting health facility-based cross-sectional surveys to assess the direct and indirect costs incurred by TB patients and their households. In addition, it provides recommendations on results dissemination, engaging across sectors in policy dialogue and enabling action and related research for effective modifications in care delivery models, in patient support, and wider cross-sectoral interventions.

6. Global tuberculosis report 2018: The main aim of the report is to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of the TB epidemic, and of progress in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the disease at global, regional and country levels. This is done in the context of recommended global TB strategies and targets endorsed by WHO’s Member States and broader development goals set by the United Nations (UN).

7. A systems perspective on Universal Social Protection – Towards life-long equitable access to comprehensive social protection for all: A recent paper on “A systems perspective on Universal Social Protection – Towards life-long equitable access to comprehensive social protection for all” as part of the German Health Practice Collection addresses questions such as whether the goal to achieve USP by 2030 is realistic, which role targeting plays in achieving USP and what can enable but also hamper the development of universal social protection.

8. WHO Global Task Force on TB Impact Measurement – Progress Update: This update provides an overview of progress for five topics that are among the priorities of the WHO Global Task Force on TB Impact Measurement and on which it is especially useful to share regular information among countries and their technical and financial partners to facilitate planning, implementation and follow-up.