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Government Financing
Government commitment to health reforms has resulted in an
increase in the budgetary allocations to the Ministry of Health from
8% in the 1980s to a current 14%. Notable achievements include
improved resource mobilization and accountability of funds/resources,
a system for the equitable distribution of funds to districts based
on district requests, and the creation of policy documents including
those affecting reproductive health and laboratories.
From the time of independence in 1964, the Zambian government has shown a high level of
commitment to bettering the health of its people through improving
equity of access to quality care and the rapid expansion of the
health infrastructure. When economic factors dictated, the Zambian
government showed a willingness to reform the sector and try new
ways of improving health services. Innovation has been a central
theme in successive efforts at reform.
Unfortunately, a poor national economic climate continues to
negatively impact the progress and people-level impact of health reforms. Both lack of national income and currency devaluation
have led to a perceptible shortfall in the actual resources available
for improvements in health. As a result, in spite of the reforms
there has been a significant rise in both morbidity and mortality
from malaria. Nationwide, malaria is assuming an increasing
proportion of all illness and death.
Sources of Financing
Outside financing plays a significant continuing role in health
sector improvements and service delivery. Some possible and current
sources of financing include
●CORE (www.coregroup.org) "A membership association of U.S. non-government organizations (NGOs).
CORE member organizations work in over 140 countries in close
collaboration with communities, local leadership and other partners
on reducing child and maternal illness by strengthening primary
health care programs."
●Gates Foundation (www.gatesfoundation.org) "The foundation's
Global Health Program is focused on reducing global health inequities
by accelerating the development, deployment and sustainability of
health interventions that will save lives and dramatically reduce the
disease burden in developing countries."
●Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (http://www.theglobalfund.org)
"The
Global Fund was created to dramatically increase resources to fight
three of the world’s most devastating diseases, and to direct those
resources to areas of greatest need."
●International
Monetary Fund (IMF) (www.imf.org/external/country/ZMB/index.htm)
"Established to promote international
monetary cooperation, exchange stability, and orderly exchange
arrangements; to foster economic growth and high levels of
employment; and to provide temporary financial assistance to
countries to help ease balance of payments adjustment."
●USAID (www.usaid.gov)
"the Agency launched an
Infectious Disease Initiative in 1998 with the support of the
U.S. Congress. The Initiative focuses on preventing diseases, such as
malaria and tuberculosis, while simultaneously strengthening the
treatment and control programs that exist in the health care system
and focusing on cross-cutting issues of building surveillance
capacity and addressing antimicrobial resistance.
●World Bank
(www.worldbank.org) "An
international organization fighting poverty in more than 100
developing countries by providing loans & advice." |
