Tracking aid flows for development assistance for health.

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• International Development
• Health Economics

Background:

• The global landscape of development assistance for health (DAH) has grown increasingly complex over the past decade.
• Numerous new funding agencies have emerged within the health sector, contributing to this complexity.
• Understanding the flow and impact of DAH is crucial for effective global health initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a detailed analysis of European Union (EU) and EU member state-originated DAH between 2006 and 2009.
• To specifically assess the complementarity of development assistance sourced from the EU.
• To identify challenges in tracking DAH flows at global and country levels.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a combination of internal EU reporting systems, OECD-DAC creditor reporting system data, and other relevant data sources.
• Employed a line-by-line project assessment methodology to identify and categorize DAH flows.
• This approach allowed for a granular examination of aid distribution and channels.

Main Results:

• Findings reveal a complex picture of DAH, encompassing source, channel of assistance, and channel of implementation.
• Tracking DAH comprehensively at the global level is challenging, and rarely achieved at the country level.
• While most EU DAH targets low and lower-middle-income countries, significant disparities between recipient countries persist.

Conclusions:

• Further analysis is required to determine if existing DAH imbalances are equitable and efficient, or if they lead to duplication of efforts.
• Recommendations include investing in enhanced internal quality control for DAH tracking within donor agencies.
• Development of country-based systems is crucial for better harmonization of DAH by countries and development partners.