An evaluation of funding challenges in the Malawian public healthcare delivery sector

Africa's Public Service Delivery and Performance Review

 
 
Field Value
 
Title An evaluation of funding challenges in the Malawian public healthcare delivery sector
 
Creator Hanif, Rabiya Musvoto, Wedzerai S.
 
Subject public finance management healthcare services; health funding; funding challenges; Councils; district hospitals; donor funding
Description Background: Reliable and adequate healthcare funding is crucial in public healthcare service delivery. However, district hospitals in Malawi, face funding challenges as evidenced by poor service delivery.Aim: This study aimed at investigating funding challenges experienced by public district hospitals of Malawi in the provision of healthcare services and proposing strategies for improved funding.Setting: The research presented in this article evaluates funding challenges in the public healthcare sector in Malawi, a developing country.Method: An exploratory sequential mixed method design was used. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 purposively selected individuals and were analysed thematically. Quantitative data were collected using questionnaires from 328 respondents. Quantitative data underwent factor and univariate analysis.Results: The study revealed that government funding is received late and is inadequate; donor funding was declining and earmarked for specific health activities; while income generation capacity of hospitals and Councils is weak. The study suggests that hospitals should introduce fees for service, government should be lobbied for increased funding allocations, and revenue–generating capacity of hospitals and Councils should be enhanced.Conclusion: The study concludes that there is an urgent need for government to prioritise the healthcare delivery sector and increase its funding. Hospitals and Councils should be innovative in order to generate additional funding for operations and the revenue generation capacity of hospitals and Councils should thus, be enhanced.Contribution: The study adds to the healthcare funding debate in developing countries by providing a context–specific analysis of healthcare funding challenges and suggesting improvement strategies.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor
Date 2023-03-31
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — mixed design study
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/apsdpr.v11i1.654
 
Source Africa’s Public Service Delivery & Performance Review; Vol 11, No 1 (2023); 8 pages 2310-2152 2310-2195
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://apsdpr.org/index.php/apsdpr/article/view/654/1326 https://apsdpr.org/index.php/apsdpr/article/view/654/1327 https://apsdpr.org/index.php/apsdpr/article/view/654/1328 https://apsdpr.org/index.php/apsdpr/article/view/654/1329
 
Coverage Africa; Malawi; District hospitals — —
Rights Copyright (c) 2023 Rabiya Hanif, Wedzerai S. Musvoto https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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