Acquired Benefits and Poverty Targeting in Public Spending on Health and Education in Cameroon

This study aimed at analyzing the benefits derived from the use of public healthcare facilities and education in Cameroon. The specific objectives are: (i) to estimate the proportion of the budget which is really acquired by the end users of those services; (ii) to determine the equity contents of the acquired benefits; (iii) to quantify satisfaction in the use of public healthcare and education services; and (iv) to establish the correlation between satisfaction and the wellbeing of Cameroonians. The analysis is based essentially on the assessment of average and marginal incidences, as well as on the study of the progressivity of the acquired benefits.The findings indicate that the recurrent public spending on the Integrated Health Centres (IHCs) are pro-poor and those of Referral Hospitals (Central Hospitals and Reference Hospitals) are regressive. Nevertheless, a marginal increase in the spending on the IHCs would make these more attractive. Spending on primary education is pro-poor while spending on higher education is pro-rich. But, any increase in the spending on primary education is captured only marginally by the intermediary income group of individuals; the increase in the spending on secondary education contributes significantly to the proportions of the benefits acquired by the various income groups, notably those in the higher intermediary income group