The role of the private sector in noncommunicable disease prevention and management in low-and middle-income countries: a series of systematic reviews and thematic syntheses

Purpose: Conduct six systematic reviews investigating for-profit private sector roles in noncommunicable disease (NCD) prevention and management in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) through the pillars of an a priori framework. Methods: Six systematic reviews and thematic syntheses were performed (March–August 2021). Six databases, the websites of relevant organizations, and reference lists of included studies were searched for English-language studies from 2000 onward that involved the pillar of interest, the for-profit private sector, NCD prevention/management, and an LMIC context. Results were synthesized using an inductive thematic synthesis approach. Results: Ultimately, 25 articles were included in the public–private partnership (PPP) review, 33 in Governance and Policy, 22 in Healthcare Provision, 15 in Innovation, 14 in Knowledge Educator, and 42 in Investment and Finance. Themes identified were: PPPs (coordination; financial resources; provision; health promotion; capacity building; innovation; policy); Governance/Policy (lobbying; industry perception; regulation); Healthcare Provision (diagnosis/treatment; infrastructure; availability/accessibility/affordability); Innovation (product innovation; process innovation; marketing innovation; research; innovation dissemination); Knowledge Educator (training; health promotion; industry framework/guideline formation); Investment and Finance (cost of treatment; regulation; private insurance; subsidization; direct investment; collaborative financing; innovative financing; research).

Keiko Marshall, Philippa Beaden, Hammad Durrani, Kun Tang, Roman Mogilevskii, Zulfiqar Bhutta