Medact and Wemos report on PRSPs and health
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Announcement of new report:
Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers and health: not living up to
expectations
A new report by Medact and Wemos highlights some of the issues
that need to be taken into account in order to make the PRSP
process work for health. "Pushing the boundaries: health and the
next round of PRSPs" draws on case studies in seven countries:
Bangladesh, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nicaragua and
Uganda. Till now, the PRSP process has failed to make signifi-
cant improvements to health. But in some areas and in some coun-
tries there are positive developments. Ghana's health budget has
risen and user fees are abolished in Uganda and Ghana as a re-
sult of increased policy attention for the poor. In Bolivia re-
cruitment procedures improved as a result of the Bolivian case
study showing that implementation of PRPS commitments failed. In
Bangladesh local groups, after having heard of the PRSP, have
now started to monitor health service delivery.
But there is a long way to go. World Bank and IMF conditions,
high levels of debt repayments and lack of support by ministries
of finance often form major obstacles for strengthening health
systems. Donor programmes and the 'global funds' aimed at spe-
cific diseases, contribute to fragmentation of the health system
and coordination problems. Pushing the boundaries calls for
health organisations, ministries of health, donors and interna-
tional agencies to use the PRSP process to establish equitable
and comprehensive health systems, and to ensure that macroeco-
nomic policies support social development.
The report can be downloaded from http://www.wemos.nl/prs or
http://www.medact.org
as Adobe PDF file (50 pp. 647 kB):
http://www.medact.org/content/Wemos%20and%20Medact%20-%20Pushing%20the%20boundaries.pdf