• Alignment of aid with recipient country priorities

Alignment of aid with recipient country priorities

This OECD Development Centre paper analyses trends in official development assistance (ODA) for Health, AIDS and Population (HAP). It finds that HIV/AIDS is the top priority in international health assistance. While the share of health in total ODA has increased significantly over the last decade, it is HIV/AIDS that accounts for this increase in share. If HIV/AIDS is excluded from the calculation, health has actually declined as a share of ODA.

The health sub-sectors that are considered to be pro-poor are losing share in health ODA. These include basic health infrastructure and care, health education and personnel development, basic nutrition and reproductive health and family planning. These trends are inconsistent with the emphasis put on health as a key sector in development and the growing recognition of the links between health and poverty. The paper also finds no clear relationship when comparing the composition of ODA at the country level with health priorities as expressed in country Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs). The absence of this relationship signals to policymakers that there is room for improvement in the PRSP process, in the allocation of ODA, or both. [adapted from authors]

• Full text of document
• Publisher details
• Send to a friend