Horizontal and Vertical Equity and Assess in the Evaluation of Mental and Physical Health Care Systems



Vertical aspects of mental and physical health care focus on prevention but stem from a curative care model (Vogenberg, & Santilli, 2018). Strategic vertical equity promotes the linear progression between, prevention and treatment of mental illness or psychological disorders considering the equality principles for the entire population (Lund, 2012). The sectoral and cross-sectoral
collaboration allows the developmental actors to respond and acknowledge the psychosocial needs of the patients and facilitate population with a real boost in the scaling up mental health services worldwide (Vogenberg, & Santilli, 2018)


The socioeconomic program to elevate poverty such as cash transfer program and microfinance found to be effective in promoting mental health among patient (Lund, 2012). In such programs, the western problem-solving approaches are followed and primarily health or disease-oriented such as malaria or AIDS (Dei, & Sebastian, 2018). The programs are very appealing to western funders to attack a health problem and formulate the strategy to eradicate it. Western state shows immense produce for conquering polio or another disease in the country (Vogenberg, & Santilli, 2018). Hence, they often lack sustainability because they lack in having community ownership (Lafond, Charlesworth, Roberts, 2016). The expert of nation guides the community what should be the fixed problem (Oliver, Lorenc, & Innvær, 2014: Fafard, P. (2015). Vertical programs deal with the specific health issues when poverty prevails, and epidemic flourish, general health services are least concerned in such community (Vogenberg, & Santilli, 2018).
Vertical programs are least effective to meet the demands of the general issues of the community (Sodha, & Dietz 2015: Owusu-Manu, Badu, Agyekum, Akom, 2015: Bartley, 2016). Vertical approach comprised of three components, i.e., monitoring & evaluation, intervention delivery and intervention strategies (Boerma, & Mathers, 2015). The intervention strategy focus on making plan and strategies to overcome the health issues from society (Keliddar, Mosadeghrad, & Jafari-Sirizi, 2017). The monitoring & evaluation intend to explore the impact of intervention delivery (Dei, & Sebastian, 2018). The intervention delivery does not come under the vertical program; rather it has linked with vertical-horizontal programs (Oliver, Lorenc, & Innvær, 2014: Owusu-Manu, Badu, Agyekum, Akom, 2015). The world health organisation designed a program to treat TB through direct observed Treatment Strategy (Vogenberg, & Santilli, 2018). Another program to control the polio was National immunisation program polio. An onchocerciasis control program is a comes under a vertical approach and achieved its target to control the health issue in the community (Keliddar, Mosadeghrad, & Jafari-Sirizi, 2017). In short, vertical programs endorse social development to promote mental health and to prevent mental or psychological/physical issues.
In contrast, horizontal program work for facilitating and prevention the community responses to manage their health problem. The horizontal program provides the cost of effective mental and physical health care package. For example, the treatment of mental health issues or intervention delivery costs $ 3-4 per head of population in Africa (Patel et al., 2008). Such programs found to be very effective, but due to lack of funding and resources, the beneficial results cannot be achieved (Sodha, & Dietz 2015). Health care programs are based on the horizontal system for providing general health-oriented services to the population (Dei, & Sebastian, 2018).  Such as widespread immunisation, has been implemented to ensure that the children of a specific age are receiving the immunisation regimen as recommended by world health organisation (Sodha, & Dietz 2015: Owusu-Manu, Badu, Agyekum, Akom, 2015). African program for onchocerciasis control program was launched in 1995 to eliminate the onchocerciasis problem and develop the socioeconomic development in the fourteen countries (Sodha, & Dietz 2015).
Mental and physical health care the significant issue of any society. Reach nation comprised of multifaceted population. The delivery of mental and health care services concerning equality is hard to intact. According to literature both the vertical and horizontal approached are imperative in promoting mental and health services and health status among the population (Vogenberg, & Santilli, 2018). The mixed approach of vertical and horizontal approaches in intervention delivery found to effective in literature bringing about effective results (Boerma, & Mathers, 2015). The health of the population in any country primarily depends upon the general and specific community and health-oriented services (Keliddar, Mosadeghrad, & Jafari-Sirizi, 2017). The economic social and political plays a significant role in eradicating poor health issues and provides extensive understanding regarding health-oriented concepts.