Corruption & health Systems

Session objectives

This session will, using Uganda and Kenya as a case study, seek to answer the following: 1. What are the forms of corruption in health and how does it undermine progress towards SDG3 and UHC 2. Why is it that corruption is often ignored or deemphasized when discussing health systems? 3. To what extent can tackling corruption in health cover the financing gap of the projected $370bn per year needed to reach SDG3 by 2030. Do we need more financing or do we need to protect investments more? 4. What can be done to address both the lack of discussion, as well as the issue itself?

Session abstract

Globally, corruption takes $500billion from health spending each year; a figure that would more than cover the cost of providing essential lifesaving services for every person on the planet. Corruption undermines the impact of health interventions, increases inequities in health and undermines the ability of the global community to fund what is needed to reach SDG3 and UHC.

Corruption a deeply rooted and insidious phenomena, undermining every aspect of health systems and health financing. Why is it that the public health community consistently silos anti-corruption activities into categories such as Public Financial Management rather than facing the issue as a whole? This session aims to confront the alarming reality of corruption in health head on and to start a dialogue that, while vital, is so often overlooked.

This session will take into account both the global elements effects and faces of corruption but will also focus specifically on the effects at a national level, specifically highlighting and discussing the cases of Uganda and Kenya. This will be bolstered by the experiences of the panel fighting corruption in these countries.