Publication: MDG Oriented Sector and Poverty Reduction Strategies : Lessons from Experience in Health
Loading...
Date
2005-10
ISSN
Published
2005-10
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
This review is a contribution to the debate on how to achieve and sustain the health-related Millennium Development Goals. It identifies ways in which government planning and budget processes and the management and delivery of external support can be more effective in supporting the goals, based on a review of how the health MDGs are being taken forward in a sample of low-income countries.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“Foster, Mick. 2005. MDG Oriented Sector and Poverty Reduction Strategies : Lessons from Experience in Health. Health, Nutrition and Population (HNP)
discussion paper;. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/13768 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Health Equity and Financial Protection in Zambia(Washington, DC, 2012-05-21)This report analyzes equity and financial protection in the health sector of Zambia. In particular, it examines inequalities in health outcomes, health behavior and health care utilization; benefit incidence analysis; financial protection; and the progressivity of health care financing. Data are drawn from the 2007 Zambia demographic and health survey, the 2006 Zambia living conditions monitoring survey, the 2003 Zambia world health survey and the 2003 Zambia national health accounts. All analyses are conducted using original survey data and employ the health modules of the ADePT software. Overall, health care financing in Zambia in 2006 was fairly progressive, i.e. the better-off spent a larger fraction of their consumption on health care than the poor. The financing sources that contribute to the overall progressivity of health care finance are general taxation, which finances 42 per cent of domestic spending on health, and contributions made by private employers, which finance 9 per cent of spending. An additional contribution to overall progressivity is made through pre-payment mechanisms, but this remains fairly limited given that they only represent 1 per cent of total health finance. Out-of-pocket health payments, which account for 47 per cent of total health financing, appear to be proportional to income, with only slight and not statistically significant evidence of progressivity.Publication Health Financing Reform in Thailand : Toward Universal Coverage under Fiscal Constraints(World Bank,Washington DC, 2013-01)Thailand's model of health financing and its ability to rapidly expand health insurance coverage to its entire population presents an interesting case study. Even though it is still a middle-income country with limited fiscal resources, the country managed to reach universal health insurance coverage through three main public schemes: the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS), the Social Security Scheme (SSS), and the Civil Servant Medical Benefit Scheme (CSMBS). The UCS, which is the largest and most instrumental scheme in the expansion of coverage to the poor and to those in the informal sector, is the focus of this report. It describes the nuts and bolts of the UCS as a key component of the health financing system in Thailand. It analyzes Thailand's experience in health insurance coverage expansion within limited fiscal constraints through various mechanisms to contain costs. It also explores the two commonly discussed approaches for the universal coverage movement: the expansion model (starting from covering the poor and formal sector to universal coverage) and the comprehensive approach (covering the entire population at the same time).Publication Romania - Functional Review : Health Sector(Washington, DC, 2011-05-11)This Functional Review was carried by a Bank team upon request by the Government of Romania. As a starting point, it shows that: (i) health outcomes in Romania lag behind those of the EU; (ii) users are not satisfied with its lack of responsiveness - long lines, informal payments, discourteous handling of patients, poor cleanliness, lack of maintenance, and breach of safety measures; (iii) the poor and other vulnerable groups (for example Roma communities) suffer from a significant lack of access to services; and (iv) the fiscal contraction of 2008-2010 exposed the weakness of financial controls in the health sector. The Review examines four health functions in depth: service delivery, financing, stewardship and resources (including pharmaceuticals). Based on our findings, we present recommendations categorized by the three set of challenges that the sector is facing: (i) improving governance and management; (ii) streamlining the health service network and re-launching quality control systems; and (iii) increasing preventive services and equity. For any expansion of the sector to be sustainable, a number of pre-requisites will need to be in place, including a private sector development strategy, stronger fiscal controls, a system of health technology assessment, and stronger management in key agencies.Publication Health Equity and Financial Protection in Ghana(Washington, DC, 2012-05-21)The health equity and financial protection reports are short country-specific volumes that provide a picture of equity and financial protection in the health sectors of low-and middle-income countries. Topics covered include: inequalities in health outcomes, health behavior and health care utilization; benefit incidence analysis; financial protection; and the progressivity of health care financing. Ghana's government is committed to improving equity and financial protection in the health sector. In 2005, the Government of Ghana amended its growth and poverty reduction strategy report to include a new target in the country's development: to reach middle income status by the year 2015 (Republic of Ghana 2005). Ghana's Minister of health has called attention to the role that health plays in economic development and has placed equity in both access and delivery of health services as a top priority for reaching middle income status (Ministry of health 2007). Ghana spends 8.1 per cent (2009) of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health. This is greater than the spending levels in other lower middle-income countries in Africa, which spend an average of 5.8 per cent (2009) of their GDP on health. Ghana provides free health services for certain vulnerable groups, such as children under five, people over 70, and pregnant women. In addition, immunization and services to combat certain communicable diseases are provided free of charge.Publication Twenty Years of Health System Reform in Brazil : An Assessment of the Sistema Único de Saúde(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2013-06-13)It has been more than 20 years since Brazil's 1988 Constitution formally established the Unified Health System (Sistema Unico de Saude, SUS). Building on reforms that started in the 1980s, the SUS represented a significant break with the past, establishing health care as a fundamental right and duty of the state and initiating a process of fundamentally transforming Brazil's health system to achieve this goal. This report aims to answer two main questions. First is have the SUS reforms transformed the health system as envisaged 20 years ago? Second, have the reforms led to improvements with regard to access to services, financial protection, and health outcomes? In addressing these questions, the report revisits ground covered in previous assessments, but also brings to bear additional or more recent data and places Brazil's health system in an international context. The report shows that the health system reforms can be credited with significant achievements. The report points to some promising directions for health system reforms that will allow Brazil to continue building on the achievements made to date. Although it is possible to reach some broad conclusions, there are many gaps and caveats in the story. A secondary aim of the report is to consider how some of these gaps can be filled through improved monitoring of health system performance and future research. The introduction presents a short review of the history of the SUS, describes the core principles that underpinned the reform, and offers a brief description of the evaluation framework used in the report. Chapter two presents findings on the extent to which the SUS reforms have transformed the health system, focusing on delivery, financing, and governance. Chapter three asks whether the reforms have resulted in improved outcomes with regard to access to services, financial protection, quality, health outcomes, and efficiency. The concluding chapter presents the main findings of the study, discusses some policy directions for addressing the current shortcomings, and identifies areas for further research.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Argentina Country Climate and Development Report(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-11)The Argentina Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) explores opportunities and identifies trade-offs for aligning Argentina’s growth and poverty reduction policies with its commitments on, and its ability to withstand, climate change. It assesses how the country can: reduce its vulnerability to climate shocks through targeted public and private investments and adequation of social protection. The report also shows how Argentina can seize the benefits of a global decarbonization path to sustain a more robust economic growth through further development of Argentina’s potential for renewable energy, energy efficiency actions, the lithium value chain, as well as climate-smart agriculture (and land use) options. Given Argentina’s context, this CCDR focuses on win-win policies and investments, which have large co-benefits or can contribute to raising the country’s growth while helping to adapt the economy, also considering how human capital actions can accompany a just transition.Publication Crime and Violence in Central America : A Development Challenge - Main Report(World Bank, 2011-01-01)Crime and violence are now a key development issue for Central American countries. In three nations El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras crime rates are among the top five in Latin America. This report argues that successful strategies require actions along multiple fronts, combining prevention and criminal justice reform, together with regional approaches in the areas of drug trafficking and firearms. It also argues that interventions should be evidence based, starting with a clear understanding of the risk factors involved and ending with a careful evaluation of how any planned action might affect future options. In addition, the design of national crime reduction plans and the establishment of national cross-sectoral crime commissions are important steps to coordinate the actions of different government branches, ease cross-sectoral collaboration and prioritize resource allocation. Of equal importance is the fact that national plans offer a vehicle for the involvement of civil society organizations, in which much of the expertise in violence prevention and rehabilitation resides. Prevention efforts need to be complemented by effective law enforcement. The required reforms are no longer primarily legislative in nature because all six countries have advanced toward more transparent adversarial criminal procedures. The second-generation reforms should instead help deliver on the promises of previous reforms by: (i) strengthening key institutions and improving the quality and timeliness of the services they provide to citizens; (ii) improving efficiency and effectiveness while respecting due process and human rights; (iii) ensuring accountability and addressing corruption; (iv) increasing inter-agency collaboration; and (v) improving access to justice, especially for poor and disenfranchised groups. Specific interventions reviewed in the report include: information systems and performance indicators as a prerequisite to improve inter-institutional coordination and information sharing mechanisms; an internal overhaul of court administration and case management to create rapid reaction, one-stop shops; the strengthening of entities that provide legal counseling to the poor and to women; and the promotion of alternative dispute-resolution mechanisms and the implementation of community policing programs.Publication Classroom Assessment to Support Foundational Literacy(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-03-21)This document focuses primarily on how classroom assessment activities can measure students’ literacy skills as they progress along a learning trajectory towards reading fluently and with comprehension by the end of primary school grades. The document addresses considerations regarding the design and implementation of early grade reading classroom assessment, provides examples of assessment activities from a variety of countries and contexts, and discusses the importance of incorporating classroom assessment practices into teacher training and professional development opportunities for teachers. The structure of the document is as follows. The first section presents definitions and addresses basic questions on classroom assessment. Section 2 covers the intersection between assessment and early grade reading by discussing how learning assessment can measure early grade reading skills following the reading learning trajectory. Section 3 compares some of the most common early grade literacy assessment tools with respect to the early grade reading skills and developmental phases. Section 4 of the document addresses teacher training considerations in developing, scoring, and using early grade reading assessment. Additional issues in assessing reading skills in the classroom and using assessment results to improve teaching and learning are reviewed in section 5. Throughout the document, country cases are presented to demonstrate how assessment activities can be implemented in the classroom in different contexts.Publication Guide to the Debt Management Performance Assessment Tool(Washington, DC, 2008-02-05)The purpose of this document is to provide guidance and supplemental information to assist with country assessments of debt management performance, using the Debt Management Performance Assessment (DeMPA) tool. The DeMPA is a methodology used for assessing public debt management performance through a comprehensive set of 15 performance indicators spanning the full range of government Debt Management (DeM) functions. It is based on the principles set out in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank guidelines for public debt management, initially published in 2001 and updated in 2003. It is modeled after the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) framework for performance measurement of public financial management. The DeMPA has been designed to be a user-friendly tool to undertake an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses in government DeM practices. This guide provides additional background and supporting information so that a no specialist in the area of debt management may undertake a country assessment effectively. The guide can be used by assessors in preparing for and undertaking an assessment. It is particularly useful for understanding the rationale for the inclusion of the indicators, the scoring methodology, and the list of supporting documents or evidence required, and the questions that could be asked for the assessment.Publication The Mexican Social Protection System in Health(World Bank, Washington DC, 2013-01)With a population of 113 million and a per-capita Gross Domestic Product, or GDP of US$10,064 (current U.S. dollars), Mexico is one of the largest and highest-income countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The country has benefited from sustained economic growth during the last decade, which was temporarily interrupted by the financial and economic crisis. Real GDP is projected to grow 3.8 percent and 3.6 percent in 2012 and 2013, respectively (International Monetary Fund, or IMF 2012). Despite this growth, poverty in the country remains high; with half of the population living below the national poverty line. The country is also highly heterogeneous, with large socioeconomic differences across states and across urban and rural areas. In 2010, while the extreme poverty ratio in the Federal District and the states of Colima and Nuevo Leon was below 3 percent, in Chiapas, Guerrero, and Oaxaca it was 25 percent or higher. These large regional differences are also found in other indicators of well-being, such as years of schooling, housing conditions, and access to social services. This case study assesses key features and achievements of the Social Protection System in Health (Sistema de Proteccion Social en Salud) in Mexico, and particularly of its main pillar, Popular Health Insurance (Seguro Popular, PHI). It analyzes the contribution of this policy to the establishment and implementation of universal health coverage in Mexico. In 2003, with the reform of the General Health Law, the PHI was institutionalized as a subsidized health insurance scheme open to the population not covered by the social security schemes. Today, the PHI covers all of its intended affiliates, about 52 million people