Rural proofing: lessons from OECD countries and potential application to health
A new paper by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) explores how to develop more robust rural proofing models, with a focus on health. It proposes a roadmap for more effective rural proofing mechanisms to help embed this practice in governments’ policy space and culture.
Drawing on experiences from different OECD member countries, the paper describes the ‘rural proofing’ concept, its benefits, and key challenges, and highlights links with place-based approaches to policy development. It identifies the main ways to sustain rural proofing beyond government cycles through increased consistency and effectiveness – this includes exploring new techniques and data, specifying policy objectives and targets.
The paper further explores ways of applying rural proofing to the health sector, highlighting its added value in circumstances where the rural needs are not well understood or taken into account.