Table 2.

Context of development of the three cases under study (IMNCH, OH, and HRH)

IMNCH strategy	OH policy	HRH policy
Had high international prominence and was key in most national discourses	Regarded as a neglected area in the health sector of the country	This was a key aspect in most national and international political debates as it cuts across all aspects of health
The need to produce a comprehensive plan of action to address the high maternal and child mortality indices in the country health	This policy was thus developed based on the high oral disease burden in Nigeria	This policy was developed based on the inadequate production, mal-distribution of the available workforce, and the increasing brain drain resulting in shortage of critically needed healthcare professionals
The need for an integrated strategy to promote continuum of care for mother and child	The desire of the relevant stakeholders to standardize practice, organization and delivery of oral health services across the country
Formal policymaking process (agenda setting to development and final approval of policy)
Existing strategic framework (national health sector reform plan) was used to guide policy development	No coordinated strategy framework for oral health services	Existing strategic framework (national health sector reform plan) was used to guide policy development
	Failure of previous attempts to develop an oral health policy