In recent years, many countries, both developed and developing, have engaged in a process of decentralization of health service delivery and/or other functions of the health system. In most cases, decentralization has been adopted to improve accountability to local population, efficiency in...

This book combines a comprehensive overview of the Brazilian hospital sector with in-depth analyses of the key elements of interest in promoting and ensuring excellence in hospital performance. It does so in an accessible manner and within the organizational and financial context of Brazil....

Hospitals are at the center of the health care universe in Brazil. When ill, many Brazilians go straight to the hospital for want of a family doctor or primary care network. Hospitals are a critical part of the government's budget, absorbing nearly 70 percent of public spending on health....

Contents; Foreword; Acknowledgments; About the Author; Acronyms and Abbreviations; Executive Summary; 1. Introduction; Objectives; The Ghana Health System; Tables; Table 1.1: Distribution of facilities by type and ownership; Table 1.2: Facility number and density by region; Figures; Figure 1.1:...

Bangladesh is committed to achieving universal health coverage (UHC) by 2032; to this end, the government of Bangladesh is exploring policy options to increase fiscal space for health and expand coverage while improving service quality and availability. Despite Bangladesh’s impressive strides in...

Today’s adolescents and youth face substantial physical, social, and economic barriers to meeting their sexual and reproductive health (SRH) potential. Niger has the highest fertility rate in the region and the world, as well as lowest age for marriage and childbearing. Early marriage and...

The aim of the study is to better understand adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs in order to inform the design of interventions and policies that improve access to and use of adolescent SRH services in Niger. A mixed-methods study was conducted and included: (i) a...