As countries pursue the maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) targets established under Sustainable Development Goal 3, they will need to ensure the continuous availability of essential health commodities to prevent and treat the conditions that cause morbidity and mortality in women and children.
Most MNCH commodities are procured with government funds, but there is a lack of documented evidence as to how decisions regarding financing for these commodities are made and executed. An understanding of MNCH financial flows is critical to ensuring adequate and timely procurement of those commodities. This is increasingly important as countries decentralize as well as to inform the mobilization of additional resources.
In 2016, SIAPS mapped the financial flow for MNCH commodities in the public sector in four countries—Bangladesh, Kenya, Nepal, and Uganda. These assessments identified major bottlenecks in the areas of budget allocation, approval, disbursement, and reporting processes that can adversely affect financing and, therefore, access to those commodities. A detailed analysis of the bottlenecks identified can inform the development of strategies and interventions that facilitate the flow of finances for MNCH commodities
The key findings of the four assessments are summarized in this summary report.
