Extension of Health Services Coverage in El Salvador : The RHESSA Project Experience
For a variety of reasons, the governments of Central America have struggled to provide basic healthcare services to their rural and impoverished populations. The lack of incentives for healthcare personnel to reside in or even to travel to remote areas, along with the deep rural-urban and rich-poor divides have resulted in poor coverage and poor health indicators. Further, language and cultural barriers and the lack of a budget for transportation in the rural departments have added to the complications in meeting the needs of the poor. In an effort to address the poor health indicators and the clients' complaints, to achieve equitable access to healthcare, and to reach the goals established by the Millennium Development Goals, the Salvadoran Government sought to extend essential healthcare services to disadvantaged populations, especially mothers and children, the poor, and rural and indigenous populations. With the help of a World Bank loan, the Ministry focused on: (1) solidifying the provision of health services to remote and poor areas; (2) expanding coverage; and (3) institutionalizing the program to assure its sustainability and governance for improved health results. Given the emerging financial crisis, which could affect the size and effectiveness of social budgets, the challenge is to maintain this program and consolidate the improvements of the health indicators.
| Summary: | For a variety of reasons, the
governments of Central America have struggled to provide
basic healthcare services to their rural and impoverished
populations. The lack of incentives for healthcare personnel
to reside in or even to travel to remote areas, along with
the deep rural-urban and rich-poor divides have resulted in
poor coverage and poor health indicators. Further, language
and cultural barriers and the lack of a budget for
transportation in the rural departments have added to the
complications in meeting the needs of the poor. In an effort
to address the poor health indicators and the clients'
complaints, to achieve equitable access to healthcare, and
to reach the goals established by the Millennium Development
Goals, the Salvadoran Government sought to extend essential
healthcare services to disadvantaged populations, especially
mothers and children, the poor, and rural and indigenous
populations. With the help of a World Bank loan, the
Ministry focused on: (1) solidifying the provision of health
services to remote and poor areas; (2) expanding coverage;
and (3) institutionalizing the program to assure its
sustainability and governance for improved health results.
Given the emerging financial crisis, which could affect the
size and effectiveness of social budgets, the challenge is
to maintain this program and consolidate the improvements of
the health indicators. |
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