Prof Maureen Mackintosh

Emeritus Professor of Economics

Economics

maureen.mackintosh@open.ac.uk

Biography

Professional biography

2021- present Emeritus Professor of Economics, The Open University

1993 - 2021 present Professor of Economics, The Open University

1986-1992 Senior Lecturer, then Reader in Economics, Kingston Polytechnic/ University

1983-86 Professional officer, Economist, Greater London Council

1981-83 Research Fellow, Centre for African Studies, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Mozambique

1978-81 Senior Lecturer in Economics, North London Polytechnic

1972-78 Research Officer, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex

Research interests

The economics of markets in social sectors, especially markets for health services and pharmaceuticals. The organisation of health systems and their impact on poverty and inequality, notably in African contexts. The interaction of industrial change and health sector performance, with particular reference to pharmaceuticals and other health commodities such as diagnostics. The role of NGOs in access to essential medicines in low income countries. The economics of development with particular reference to Africa.

Most recent research project:

GCRF Inclusive societies: How to link industrial and social innovation for inclusive development: lessons from tackling cancer care in Africa. 2018-2021 Principal investigator. Collaboration with Kenyan researchers (KEMRI, Nairobi), Tanzanian researchers (ESRF, Dar es Salaam), Indian and UK researchers (Universities of Edinburgh, Sussex and UCL)

Other research projects include:

Ethics, Payments and Maternal Survival: Wellcome Trust-funded project; 2011-13 Co-investigator; Principal Investigator Dr Paula Tibandebage, Research on Poverty Alleviation (REPOA), Tanzania.

Industrial productivity, health sector performance and policy synergies for inclusive growth: a study in Tanzania and Kenya: DFID-ESRC Growth Programme project 2011-14. Principal investigator. Collaborative project with Research on Poverty Alleviation (REPOA), Tanzania; African Centre for technology Studies (ACTS), Kenya; and RAND-Europe.

Non-governmental public action to improve access by the poor to good quality low cost medicines. Principal Investigator. An international collaborative project, part of the ESRC Non-governmental Public Action (NGPA) research programme, with Prof Sudip Chaudhuri, Dr Phares Mujinja and Dr Meri Koivusalo.

Professional experience of governance and incentives in the National Health Service’. Co-investigator NHS-funded research, lead, Kings College London.

Prof Mackintosh is a past Director of the Open University's inter-faculty Centre for Innovation, Knowledge and Development (IKD). She is member of INNOGEN.

Impact and engagement

2017-18 Consultant for UNIDO, Vienna, on local production of pharmaceuticals in Africa.

2017 Consultant to BMZ, German Development Cooperation, on the implications for health system strengthening of local production of pharmaceuticals in Sub-Saharan Africa.

External collaborations

2022 and 2023 Member, AHRC Collaborative Community Research to tackle Health Inequalities, Moderating panel.

2019 Chair, GCRF commissioning panel: Education as a Driver of Sustainable Development.

2018 Chair, ESRC Roundtable reviewing ESRC participation in the Health Systems Research Initiative.

2017-date Member, ESRC Peer Review College

2017 Invited expert, UNIDO expert group on supporting the pharmaceutical industry in Africa.

2017 Member, Medical Research Council: Antimicrobial Resistance Global Award 2017 Panel

2016 Member, Commissioning Panel on Tackling antimicrobial resistance: behaviour within and beyond the healthcare setting: ESRC-led.

2014-2016 Member of the Health Systems Research Initiative funding panel.

2007 Member, Health Systems Knowledge Network, Commission on Social Determinants of Health.

Projects

How to link industrial and social innovation for inclusive development: lessons from tackling cancer care in Africa

This new project is supported by the ESRC under the GCRF Inclusive Societies initiative. It aims to demonstrate the benefits for inclusive development of linking local industrial and social innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It will do this by addressing the “hard case” of increasing access to cancer care in East Africa.

Industrial productivity, health sector performance and policy synergies for inclusive growth. (D-11-020-MM)

The objectives of this research are: 1. to establish the extent and nature of local production of medicines and other commodity supplies for health services in Tanzania and Kenya; 2. to explore the efficiency and competitiveness of these local supply chains, compare them with supply chains for imports, and assess the scope for improved productivity, output quality, innovation and employment; 3. to assess the extent to which improving local supply chains could contribute to improving health system performance, in terms of prices and inflation, burden on households, access, working conditions; 4. to examine in an innovative manner the potential macroeconomic impact of improved economic integration between the major economic sector of health care and its suppliers; 5. to specify the implications for integrated policy development to improve the synergy between health service development and its commodity suppliers, in the interests of more inclusive growth.

Ethics, payments and maternal survival in Tanzania (D-10-047-MM)

The research will explore the hypotheses that in Tanzania: 1. Payments for emergency obstetric and post-natal care are extensive, often regarded as unethical, and a major cause of exclusion and mortality; 2. The type and level of payments influence staff morale and (un)ethical behaviour; 3. Ethical and efficient management practices can have a major positive impact on payment levels, staff behaviour and hence access to appropriate maternal care.

UNITAID's market impact evaluation criteria : local impact of AMFm subsidy for ACTs (D-10-049-MM)

Using the antimalarial medicines market as a case example, the purpose of this consultancy is to provide guidance on how UNITAID should incorporate issues relating to local production in the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and impact assessment of UNITAID's interventions. Specific objectives include: 1. Describe the organization of the antimalarial medicines market in Tanzania, including number of local producers, production capacity, types and numbers of products produced, import/export market share, supplier sources, etc, 2. Examine business models employed by local producers of antimalarial medicines and future plans for expansion or contraction of antimalarial medicines production in Tanzania; 3. Assess implications of global policies (AMFm, large-scale ACT purchase, A2S2,) and national policies (e.g. ACT as first-line treatment) on local production and local distribution of antimalarial medicines in Tanzania; 4. In collaboration with other UNITAID-contracted consultants, assess the relationships between UNITAID global policies and market organization/reorganization across Indian, international, and local producers of antimalarial medicines.