Improving Health, Nutrition and Population Outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa The Role of the World Bank

by World Bank

• ISBN13: 9780821359631
• ISBN10: 0821359630
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-12-01
• Publisher: World Bank Publications
• More Book Details

Summary

This publication examines the health, nutrition, and population challenges faced by Sub-Saharan Africa. It considers the role of the World Bank in addressing these issues, and how this is influenced by three factors: countries' setting of priorities, provision of resources through specific programmes, and the agency's expertise in knowledge transfer and policy advice. The book suggests that the World Bank has the greatest impact when co-ordinating its efforts with partners and focusing on areas of comparative advantage, relating to macroeconomics and health, multisectoral action for health, and health sector reform of systems and financing.

Table of Contents

Preface	xiii
Acknowledgments	xix
Abbreviations and Acronyms	xxi
Executive Summary	xxv
Chapter 1: Today's Realities	1	(26)
Health, nutrition, and population outcomes are advancing too slowly to reach the Millennium Development Goals	1	(16)
Africa's health sector faces special challenges	17	(8)
Conclusion	25	(2)
Chapter 2: Why and How the World Bank Should Be Involved	27	(22)
Poverty and health in Sub-Saharan Africa are interrelated	28	(8)
Health outcomes are affected in complex ways by a broad set of determinants	36	(4)
The World Bank should focus its work on its areas of comparative advantage	40	(8)
Conclusion	48	(1)
Chapter 3: Improving Health, Nutrition, and Population Outcomes through Economic and Fiscal Policy	49	(24)
The Bank can help to ensure that public expenditure recognizes the role of health, nutrition, and population in poverty reduction	50	(7)
Improved health outcomes and reduced poverty require more effective policies, implementation, and resource allocation within the sector	57	(6)
The health sector could benefit from working more closely with central ministries	63	(4)
Health sector expertise can help ensure that economic and fiscal policy contributes to health outcomes	67	(4)
Conclusion	71	(2)
Chapter 4: Multisector Action to Improve Health, Nutrition, and Population Outcomes	73	(22)
Actions across multiple sectors can affect health, nutrition, and population outcomes	74	(3)
The response to HIV/AIDS sets an example	77	(3)
Reducing malnutrition requires multisector action	80	(2)
Multisector action can reduce disability and death from many causes	82	(11)
Conclusion	93	(2)
Chapter 5: Effective Systems for Delivering Health, Nutrition, and Population Interventions	95	(40)
Health workforce limitations pose the greatest challenges to health care delivery	97	(8)
Access to and use of pharmaceuticals must be improved	105	(10)
The institutional and organizational frameworks must also be right	115	(7)
The private sector can play an important role in service delivery	122	(7)
Household and community factors also affect system effectiveness	129	(3)
Conclusion	132	(3)
Chapter 6: Sustainable Financing of Health, Nutrition, and Population Interventions	135	(30)
Spending on health, nutrition, and population is lower in Africa than anywhere else	136	(10)
Countries are employing a range of strategies to manage health financing	146	(9)
Countries are trying to improve the efficiency and equity of health financing	155	(9)
Conclusion	164	(1)
Chapter 7: Implications for World Bank Operations	165	(22)
World Bank operations in Sub-Saharan Africa aim to achieve sustainable improvements	165	(1)
Lending operations and resource transfers are taking a new approach	166	(10)
Nonlending opportunities can also be exploited	176	(6)
The World Bank cannot achieve its objectives without partnerships	182	(4)
Conclusion	186	(1)
Notes	187	(8)
References	195	(26)
Index	221