Bulletin of the World Health Organization

Impossible to “wean” when more aid is needed

Gorik Ooms, Wim Van Damme

Volume 86, Number 11, November 2008, 893-894

Table 1. Impact of strategies proposed to reduce dependency on aid

Countries	Justification of selection: external contribution to total health expenditure		GDP per capita, 2006⁵ (US$)^a	Impact of second strategy proposed			Impact of third strategy proposed		Current situation
Countries	2004³ (%)	2005³ (%)	GDP per capita, 2006⁵ (US$)^a	Military expenditure pp/yr, 2006⁴ (% of GDP)	Military expenditure pp/yr, 2005 (US$)^a	Budget available pp/yr (US$)^a,b	Government revenue excluding grants, 2005⁵ (% of GDP)	Budget available pp/yr (US$)^a,c	Total health expenditure pp/yr, 2005³ (US$)^a
Liberia	33.2	41.2	126.0	1.3	1.6	0.0	18.6	0.0	10.0
Madagascar	42.2	46.1	278.0	1.0	2.8	0.0	11.3	1.5	9.0
Malawi	59.4	61.2	157.0	1.3	2.0	0.0	17.5	0.0	19.0
Mozambique	50.2	66.5	344.0	0.8	2.8	0.0	15.9	0.0	14.0
Rwanda	35.9	43.9	268.0	2.9	7.8	0.0	12.9	0.8	19.0
Sao Tome and Principe	50.8	49.9	698.0	0.8	5.6	0.0	21.3	0.0	49.0
Sierra Leone	31.9	41.0	232.0	2.3	5.3	0.0	11.8	1.1	8.0
Zambia	34.0	40.5	366.0	1.8	6.6	0.0	16.9	0.0	36.0

GDP, gross domestic product; pp/py, per person per year.^a US$ amounts use average exchange rate.^b If military expenditure were reduced to US$ 16 per person per year and if 15% of the reduced expenditure were allocated to health.^c If government revenue increased to 15% of GDP and if 15% of the increase was allocated to health.