Improving Health Outcomes for the Poor in Uganda: Current Status and Implications for Health Sector Development

This report attempts to provide a comprehensive assessment of health outcomes and of the health sector performance in targeting the poor. The report is guided by the Poverty Reduction Strategy Framework on health, nutrition and population and poverty. It also uses the frameworks on accountability and service provision from the World Development Report 2004: Making Services Work for Poor People. The report builds upon a vast literature on the health sector in Uganda and uses available data from surveys and the health information system for its analysis. It provides an in depth examination of inequalities in health outcomes, health behavior and practices and of health system performance and financing from the equity perspective. In particular, the report examines the impact of the user fee removal on utilization of health services using the household survey data before and after the removal of user fees. Based on the analysis, the report provides policy recommendations. [from foreword]