Recommended readings
The Uganda health SWAp: new approaches for a more balanced aid architecture?
The challenges of the Uganda health Sector Wide Approach
Authors:
C. Ortendahl
Publisher:
HLSP Institute, UK, 2007
The early years of the Uganda health Sector Wide Approaches (SWAp) are generally considered a success story. However, its performance has subsequently declined. This HLSP paper examines the factors that have contributed to this decline, and the current challenges faced by government and donors. These are: reduction in government health spending; changes in preferred aid modalities used by development partners; weak government leadership; and weak governance. Analysis reveals that all these factors have interacted with one another and contributed to weakening performance.
The paper concludes that the lessons from the Uganda experience with the health SWAp also have wider relevance. The evidence points to the need for a more balanced architecture of development assistance for health which: promotes the active participation from global financing partnerships with other donors acting within the framework of common co-ordination structures; enables effective use of non-financial resources; and is informed by financial planning frameworks. [adapted from authors]
