Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #112769

Susna De, MSc, MPH, International Health Area, Abt Associates Inc., 4800 Montgomery Lane, Suite 600, Bethesda, MD 20814, 301 347 5608, susna_de@abtassoc.com and Tania Dmytraczenko, PhD, Abt Associates Inc, Suite 600, 4800 Montgomery Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814.

Reproductive health expenditures for Rwanda, Egypt, and Jordan were estimated for the year 2002 as subanalyses of sector wide NHA estimations that measure total (public, private, and donor) health expenditures in a given country. NHA tracks the flow of funds throughout the health sector, from funding sources, through financing agents, to providers, functions and, ultimately, to the beneficiaries of health services. These three countries provide a broad range of reproductive health care services.

RH spending as a proportion of total health expenditures varies from country to country and the financing sources are equally varied. Jordan, where RH services are provided free of charge to users, evidence shows a comparatively low donor and household contribution to financing of RH. Conversely, in Rwanda, households pay close to 50% of all RH curative care expenditures. This raises concerns about the burden placed on households to finance these services, particularly as 60% of the population is below the poverty line and the government provide care free of charge. In Egypt, households are the largest contributor to total RH spending accounting for nearly 40%, while donors account for only about 1%.

The level of government spending on RH is an indicator of their commitment to improving the RH indicators, particularly in light of the millenium development goals. With the advent of the large donor grants, the issue of shifting resources to other program areas will become even more pressing. It is necessary to promote and develop this effort because the RH indicators must be improved.

Learning Objectives:

• Compare the level of funding for reproductive health in Rwanda, Jordan and Egypt
• Identify the implications of reproductive health funding to the achievement of the millennium development goals

Related Web page: www.phrplus.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commertial supporters WITH THE EXCEPTION OF employment at Abt Associates, Inc..