Does Fiscal Decentralization Improve Health Outcomes?

Does Fiscal Decentralization Improve Health Outcomes? PDF Author: David A. Robalino
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN:
Category : Descentralizacion
Languages : en
Pages : 20

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Book Description
Decentralization of fiscal responsibilities has emerged as a primary objective on the agendas of national governments, and international organizations alike. Yet there is little empirical evidence on the potential benefits of this intervention. The authors fill in some quantitative evidence. Using panel data on infant mortality rates, GDP per capita, and the share of public expenditures managed by local governments, they find greater fiscal decentralization is consistently associated with lower mortality rates. The results suggest that the benefits of fiscal decentralization are particularly important for poor countries. They suggest also that the positive effects of fiscal decentralization on infant mortality, are greater in institutional environments that promote political rights. Fiscal decentralization also appears to be a mechanism for improving health outcomes in environments with a high level of ethno-linguistic fractionalization, however, the benefits from fiscal decentralization tend to be smaller.

Does Fiscal Decentralization Improve Health Outcomes?

Does Fiscal Decentralization Improve Health Outcomes? PDF Author: David A. Robalino
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN:
Category : Descentralizacion
Languages : en
Pages : 20

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Book Description
Decentralization of fiscal responsibilities has emerged as a primary objective on the agendas of national governments, and international organizations alike. Yet there is little empirical evidence on the potential benefits of this intervention. The authors fill in some quantitative evidence. Using panel data on infant mortality rates, GDP per capita, and the share of public expenditures managed by local governments, they find greater fiscal decentralization is consistently associated with lower mortality rates. The results suggest that the benefits of fiscal decentralization are particularly important for poor countries. They suggest also that the positive effects of fiscal decentralization on infant mortality, are greater in institutional environments that promote political rights. Fiscal decentralization also appears to be a mechanism for improving health outcomes in environments with a high level of ethno-linguistic fractionalization, however, the benefits from fiscal decentralization tend to be smaller.

Decentralization In Health Care: Strategies And Outcomes

Decentralization In Health Care: Strategies And Outcomes PDF Author: Saltman, Richard
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education (UK)
ISBN: 033521925X
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 327

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Book Description
Exploring the capacity and impact of decentralization within European health care systems, this book examines both the theoretical underpinnings as well as practical experience with decentralization.

Does Fiscal Decentralization Improve Health Outcomes? Evidence from a Cross-Country Analysis

Does Fiscal Decentralization Improve Health Outcomes? Evidence from a Cross-Country Analysis PDF Author: David A. Robalino
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 14

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Book Description
Greater fiscal decentralization is consistently associated with lower mortality rates. And its positive effects on infant mortality are greater in institutional environments that promote political rights.Decentralization of fiscal responsibilities has emerged as a primary objective on the agendas of national governments and international organizations alike. Yet there is little empirical evidence on the potential benefits of this intervention. Robalino, Picazo, and Voetberg fill in some quantitative evidence.Using panel data on infant mortality rates, GDP per capita, and the share of public expenditures managed by local governments, they find that greater fiscal decentralization is consistently associated with lower mortality rates. The results suggest that the benefits of fiscal decentralization are particularly important for poor countries. They suggest also that the positive effects of fiscal decentralization on infant mortality are greater in institutional environments that promote political rights.Fiscal decentralization also appears to be a mechanism for improving health outcomes in environments with a high level of corruption. In environments with a high level of ethnolinguistic fractionalization, however, the benefits from fiscal decentralization tend to be smaller.This paper - a product of Human Development 1, Africa Technical Families - is part of a larger effort in the region to conduct rigorous analysis of the implications of fiscal decentralization on the financing and delivery of social services. The authors may be contacted at [email protected], [email protected]., or [email protected].

Fiscal Decentralization and the Efficiency of Public Service Delivery

Fiscal Decentralization and the Efficiency of Public Service Delivery PDF Author: Moussé Sow
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1475564031
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 30

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Book Description
This paper explores the impact of fiscal decentralization on the efficiency of public service delivery. It uses a stochastic frontier method to estimate time-varying efficiency coefficients and analyzes the impact of fiscal decentralization on those efficiency coefficients. The findings indicate that fiscal decentralization can improve the efficiency of public service delivery but only under specific conditions. First, the decentralization process requires adequate political and institutional environments. Second, a sufficient degree of expenditure decentralization seems necessary to obtain favorable outcomes. Third, decentralization of expenditure needs to be accompanied by sufficient decentralization of revenue. Absent those conditions, fiscal decentralization can worsen the efficiency of public service delivery.

Does Decentralization Enhance Service Delivery and Poverty Reduction?

Does Decentralization Enhance Service Delivery and Poverty Reduction? PDF Author: Ehtisham Ahmad
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN: 1849801851
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 411

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Book Description
Does decentralization enhance service delivery and poverty reduction? The expert contributors to this book address this fundamental question faced by policymakers and scholars in developing and advanced countries. The book illustrates that it is equally important for international agencies as well as bilateral donors to provide advice and assistance on decentralization that effectively supports poverty reduction. The volume builds on insights from the recent, political economy developments in the intergovernmental literature reviewed in the Handbook of Fiscal Federalism, and presents new empirical evidence on the effects of decentralization in different parts of the world. Policy-oriented papers evaluating the effectiveness of decentralized service delivery are presented. The role of institutions and the importance of sequencing of policies in ensuring effective outcomes are also considered. The volume presents some insightful empirical studies of the decentralization process from Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Africa. With a detailed empirical analysis of effective outcomes of public policies implemented at the sub-national level, and a focus on method, this book will be of great interest to academics specializing in public sector economics and public finance, and to national and international policymakers.

Subnational Data Requirements for Fiscal Decentralization

Subnational Data Requirements for Fiscal Decentralization PDF Author: Serdar Yilmaz
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 9780821356999
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 172

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Book Description
This publication has been produced as part of a capacity building programme to strengthen the ability of national statistical systems to collect subnational demographic, socio economic and fiscal data. This is important in the design of public policy options, particularly as subnational governments in the transition economies of Central and Eastern Europe become responsible for the delivery of local services. This publication contains case studies from five countries in Central and Eastern Europe that are at different stages of fiscal decentralisation (covering Bulgaria, Romania, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, and Ukraine).

Reallocating Public Spending to Reduce Income Inequality: Can It Work?

Reallocating Public Spending to Reduce Income Inequality: Can It Work? PDF Author: Djeneba Doumbia
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1513514938
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 51

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Book Description
Can a government reduce income inequality by changing the composition of public spending while keeping the total level of expenditure fixed? Using newly assembled data on spending composition for 83 countries across all income groups, this paper shows that reallocating spending toward social protection and infrastructure is associated with reduced income inequality, particularly when it is financed through cuts in defense spending. However, the political and security situation matters. The analysis does not find evidence that lowering defense spending to finance infrastructure and social outlays improves income distribution in countries with weak institutions and at higher risk of conflict. Reallocating social protection and infrastructure spending towards other types of spending tends to increase income inequality. Accounting for the long-term impact of health spending, and particularly education spending, helps to better capture the equalizing effects of these expenditures. The paper includes a discussion of the implications of the findings for Indonesia, a major emerging market where income inequality is at the center of policy issues.

Lessons for Effective Fiscal Decentralization in Sub-Saharan Africa

Lessons for Effective Fiscal Decentralization in Sub-Saharan Africa PDF Author: Mr.Niko A Hobdari
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1484358260
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 63

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Book Description
Fiscal decentralization is becoming a pressing issue in a number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa, reflecting demands for a greater local voice in spending decisions and efforts to strengthen social cohesion. Against this backdrop, this paper seeks to distill the lessons for an effective fiscal decentralization reform, focusing on the macroeconomic aspects. The main findings for sub-Saharan African countries that have decentralized, based on an empirical analysis and four case studies (Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda), are as follows: • Determinants and effectiveness: Empirical results suggest that (1) the major driving forces behind fiscal decentralization in sub-Saharan Africa include efforts to defuse ethnic conflicts, the initial level of income, and the urban-ization rate, whereas strength of democracy is not an important determi-nant for decentralization; and (2) decentralization in sub-Saharan Africa is associated with higher growth in the presence of stronger institutions. • Spending assignments: The allocation of spending across levels of gov-ernment in the four case studies is broadly consistent with best practice. However, in Uganda, unlike in the other three case studies, subnational governments have little flexibility to make spending decisions as a result of a deconcentrated rather than a devolved system of government. • Own revenue: The assignment of taxing powers is broadly in line with best practice in the four case studies, with the bulk of subnational revenue coming from property taxes and from fees for local services. However, own revenues are a very small fraction of subnational spending, reflecting weak cadaster systems and a high level of informality in the economy.

Fiscal Decentralization Improves Social Outcomes When Countries Have Good Governance

Fiscal Decentralization Improves Social Outcomes When Countries Have Good Governance PDF Author: Ryota Nakatani
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 29

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Book Description
Does fiscal decentralization improve health and educational outcomes? Does this improvement depend on the quality of governance? How do fiscal decentralization and governance interact? We answer these questions through an instrumental variable Tobit analysis of cross-country panel data. We find negative effects of fiscal decentralization on health outcomes, which however are more than offset by better governance. Education expenditure decentralization to subnational governments enhances educational outcomes. We conclude that countries can only reap the benefits from decentralization when the quality of their governance arrangements exceeds a certain threshold. We also find that sequencing and staging of decentralization matter. Countries should improve government effectiveness and control of corruption first to maximize benefits of fiscal decentralization.

Decentralizing Health Services

Decentralizing Health Services PDF Author: Krishna Regmi
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1461490715
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 222

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Book Description
Decentralizing Health Services A Global Perspective Krishna Regmi, editor Current economic, demographic, and environmental shifts are presenting major challenges to health care systems around the world. In response, decentralization--the transfer of control from central to local authorities--is emerging as a successful means of meeting these challenges and reducing inequities of care. But as with health care itself, one size does not fit all, and care systems must be responsive to global reality as well as local demand. Decentralizing Health Services explores a variety of applications of decentralization to health care delivery in both the developing and developed worlds. Outfitted with principles, blueprints, and examples, this ambitious text clearly sets out the potential role of decentralized care as a major player in public health. Its models of service delivery illustrate care that is effective, inclusive, flexible, and in tune with the current era of preventive and evidence-based healthcare . Contributors point out opportunities, caveats, and controversies as they: Clarify the relationships among decentralization, politics, and policy Differentiate between political, fiscal, and administrative decentralization in health care systems Consider public/private partnerships in health systems Explain how the effects of decentralization can be evaluated. Present the newest data on the health outcomes of decentralization Explore some challenges and global issues of health systems in the 21st century And each chapter features learning goals, discussion questions, activities, and recommendations for further reading Heralding changes poised to revolutionize care, Decentralizing Health Services will broaden the horizons of researchers and administrators in health services, health economics, and health policy