This case study is one of five carried out for the World health Organisation and the Inter-Agency Group on Sector-wide Approaches and Development Co-operation, conclusions from which have been drawn together in a synthesis entitled  Sector-wide Approaches for Health Development: A Review of Experience.

Uganda is notable amongst the five case study countries reviewed for the context in which the health sector-wide approach (SWAp) is developing. The strong political commitment to poverty reduction is manifested in the national Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP) which has had a significant influence on sector strategy policy and implementation.

Funds are earmarked for poverty reduction and channelled to primary health care activities with monitoring procedures that stress transparency and accountability. This is supported by an increased emphasis on improved public expenditure management at all levels of the service. The policy of decentralisation aims to link service provision with local needs, backed up by conditional grants for primary health care to reflect national priorities.