Table 1
Time horizons for decision-making in the health sector [82]
| Investment 2–5 decades | Carbon emissions mitigation strategies |
| Malaria eradication strategies | |
| Major infrastructure investment | |
| Workforce development | |
| Strategic planning 6–20 years | Research and development of medical countermeasures (e.g., drugs, vaccines) and vector control tools (e.g., new insecticides) |
| Improving the nutritional content of crops | |
| Health facility investments | |
| Curriculum development | |
| Policy cycles 2–5 years | 4- to 5-year political cycle |
| Health service re-organization | |
| 2- to 5-year research grant cycle | |
| Planning cycles < 2yrs | Annual planning and commissioning cycle |
| Demand for visible ‘quick wins’ from funders | |
| Seasonal preparedness and response < 4 months | Seasonal planning cycle |
| Epidemic/disaster preparedness and response | |
| Weekly facility management < 1 week | Weather disaster preparedness and response |
| Patient scheduling for non-urgent cases |