Since 2002, Official Development Assistance (ODA) for health per capita/year in the WHO African Region has increased from US$ 2.7 to US$ 9.8 in 2010. Most of the increase has been however targeting MDG6, with all other health development priorities together receiving in 2010 less than 50% of the resources disbursed for MDG6. Effective policy dialogue at national level between governments and national and international development partners is critical to increase aid flows, their effectiveness and their alignment with country national priorities and processes.
Since the Millennium Declaration was signed in 2000, resources remain insufficient in most low-income countries to ensure that all people access to even a very basic set of health services. When people use health services, around 150 million each year suffer severe financial hardship because they have to pay out of their own pockets at the time they receive care, and 100 million are pushed into poverty as a result. The World Health Report 2010 says that all countries could take actions in at least one of the following areas to move more closely towards universal coverage - raise additional funds for health; reduce financial barriers and increase financial risk protection through prepayment and pooling; use the available funds more equitably and efficiently.
Global situation: Skilled and motivated health workers in sufficient numbers at the right place and at the right time are critical to deliver effective services and improve health outcomes (WHO 2010). However, a shortage of qualified health workers in rural areas is common in both developed and developing countries. In most developing countries in the world more than half of their populations live in rural areas. Globally, rural areas are served by only 38% of the total nursing workforce and by less than 25% of the total physician workforce.
