OncologyConflict-Affected Countries Receive Less Aid Dedicated To Reproductive Health
Low income, conflict-affected countries such as Afghanistan, Sudan and
Somalia receive less development money for reproductive health than
countries
that are not experiencing conflict, according to a new study in this week"s
PLoS Medicine.
United Nations indicators show that countries affected by conflict have
greater reproductive health needs than those unaffected by conflict.
There
are several reasons for this disparity, such as war destroying health
infrastructure and increasing the risk of sexual violence. Yet there is
little
information about the amount of international aid spent on reproductive
health in poor countries that are experiencing conflict, even though many
of
these countries are dependent upon aid for basic health services.
In the new study, Preeti Patel of King"s College London, Bayard Roberts of
the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and colleagues tried
to address this gap in knowledge. The researchers quantified the amount
of aid spent on reproductive health in low-income conflict affected
countries, and compared this figure with the amount spent in poor
countries that were not affected by conflict.
The researchers identified the 18 countries that are considered to be the
least economically developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD) that had undergone conflict in 2005. Using
information on development assistance from databases maintained by the
OECD and the
United Nations, they found that an average of US $20.8 billion dollars of
official development money was disbursed annually to these 18 countries.
Out of this total, they found that US $509.3m (or 2.4%) was allocated to
reproductive health. This amounts to just US $1.30 for each person per
year
in the eighteen countries undergoing conflict. In contrast, people in
countries receiving aid that had not experienced conflict received 50%
more for
reproductive health issues.
In a related expert commentary on the new study, Paul Speigel and
colleagues of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees, who
were not involved with the study, say, "If the world is to meet the
Millennium Development Goals, especially those related to child mortality,
maternal health, and HIV/AIDS, then reproductive health issues related to
conflict and post-conflict settings must be better understood and
addressed
in a more equitable manner than is currently the case." They also say that
Patel and colleagues "have made a significant contribution to allow us
to move forward."
Funding: The study was funded by the Reproductive Health Access,
Information and Services in Emergencies Initiative (RAISE). The funding
department
of RAISE had no role in study design, data collection and analysis,
decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Citation:
"Tracking Official Development Assistance for Reproductive Health in Conflict-Affected Countries."
Patel P, Roberts B, Guy S, Lee-Jones L, Conteh L (2009)
PLoS Med 6(6): e1000090. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000090
Related PLoS Medicine Perspective
Funding: No specific funding was received for this manuscript.
Citation:
"Funding for Reproductive Health in Conflict and Post- Conflict Countries: A Familiar Story of Inequity and Insufficient Data."
Spiegel PB, Cornier N, Schilperoord M (2009)
PLoS Med 6(6): e1000093.doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000093
Plos Medicine