Primary Health Care and Donor Dependency: A Case Study of Nongovernment Assistance in Burkina Faso

Abstract

Primary health care assistance has become prominent in the rural development programs of many nongovernment organizations throughout sub-Saharan Africa. By emphasizing education and the promotion of new participatory health systems, most such programs aim to enhance the conditions of women as principal community care givers. Yet village-level health assistance in Africa is not without shortcomings. This is exemplified in a case study of two nongovernment programs in Burkina Faso's Namentenga Province. Although both programs have contributed to maternal health and infant survival, they have also induced new ties of donor dependency. This appears to present a conundrum for the sponsoring agencies which espouse self-reliance as a development assistance goal. In fact, however, where the intervention of nongovernment organizations helps to improve rural health, new dimensions of dependency may prove to be a positive first stage in the mobilization of women and the development of locally managed health systems. For this to be so, much is contingent on the capacity of these organizations to integrate local participation in their own planning and management processes, and to augment the professional status of indigenous health workers.

Sustainable Development in Surgery: The Health, Poverty, and Equity Impacts of Charitable Surgery in Uganda

“…[55] However, most policy evaluations to date have focused only on medical incomes, and most policymakers have traditionally looked to the public sector alone to accomplish these aims. [56]…”

“…[61] It also does not measure the persistence of impoverishment into the future, instead measuring the incidence of financial catastrophe, as opposed to its prevalence. Finally, there are potential economies of scale that cannot be elucidated by a model limited to a starting population of 10,000 individauls.…”

Plans and “off‐plan activities”: Exploring the roles of data and situated action in health planning in Burkina Faso

“…Although most health services are subject to user fees, the health sector is heavily dependent on external support. This creates dependence on the continuous support of donors (Maclure, ), which requires a considerable amount of coordination between the latter and the health system. A cornerstone in facilitating this coordination is the 2020 national plan for health development (PNDS), which sets out Burkina Faso's strategic health priorities.…”

Mondzorgvrijwilligerswerk in ontwikkelingslanden 2. Effectief zorgverlenen

“…Het wordt nog erger als het idee ontstaat dat het geen zin heeft het eigen systeem te verbeteren omdat het systeem van de vrijwilligers toch nooit kan worden geëvenaard. Geïsoleerde zorgverlening in een ontwikkelingsland met te weinig oog voor de lokale situatie leidt onbedoeld tot meer in plaats van minder afhankelijkheid van de lokale bevolking (Maclure, 1995).…”

“…Het wordt nog erger als het idee ontstaat dat het geen zin heeft het eigen systeem te verbeteren omdat het systeem van de vrijwilligers toch nooit kan worden geëvenaard. Geïsoleerde zorgverlening in een ontwikkelingsland met te weinig oog voor de lokale situatie leidt onbedoeld tot meer in plaats van minder afhankelijkheid van de lokale bevolking (Maclure, 1995).De eerste stap naar effectievere zorgverlening is de bereidheid in te zien dat het traditionele westerse model soms goede resultaten oplevert, maar ook beperkingen kent en zelfs schadelijke aspecten kan hebben voor het lokale zorgsysteem. Erkenning van dergelijke tekortkomingen is ongetwijfeld de moeilijkste stap in de ontwikkeling van het werk van vrijwilligers en niet-gouvernementele organisaties naar effectievere en duurzame resultaten.…”