Corruption in the health sector

Literature review

Health-related documents from
the International Anti-Corruption Conferences (IACCs)

Global Integrity: 2000 and Beyond -- Developing Anti-Corruption Strategies in a Changing World - 9th IACC - Durban, 1999

From workshop entitled: Sectoral Initiatives in Health

• Accountability in Health Services (Anderson, N.)
  The main results of 'social audits' carried out in 1998 by CIET in Bangladesh, Nicaragua, Pakistan, South Africa, and Uganda are presented. CIET social audits gather data from households, communities and local public service workers about how well the public services serve the public. They focus on system flaws and create locally identified solutions for regional and national reform.
  
  
• The Cost of Corruption in Health Institutions (Gadzekpo, A. / Lamensdorf Ofori-Atta, A.)
  The authors explore the effects of corruption on health provision in Ghana. Using their own in-depth interviews, they show how in public hospitals corruption is rife in the award of contracts, the procurement of supplies and food, and the way in which these supplies are then mismanaged and pilfered. The effects of this are costly both in financial and human terms. The main reasons for continuing high levels of corruption are complacency among the patients; low salaries for health professionals; and weak regulatory institutions. Centralised planning, poor hospital management practices and internal separation of powers are also often problematic.
  
  
• Corruption in the Health Sector (Mwaffisi, M. J.)
  The paper analyses the effects of corruption on the health sector of Tanzania. In the health sector, there is both petty and grand corruption, and the poor are worst affected by the resultant increase in costs and reduced quality of service. The main causes of corruption in the health sector include: chronic shortages; excessive red tape; poor salaries; poor management and supervision; lack of information for clients. The effects are wide-reaching and include public dissatisfaction and the loss of credibility for the health professions. The most important measures which need to be taken to combat further corruption include, among others, more information for clients, better internal and external regulation, a greater health sector budget, and more severe punishment for corruption offenses.

From workshop entitled: Public Sector Financial Transparency and Accountability: The Emerging Global Architecture, and Case Studies

• Fiscal transparency and participation in the Budget process. South Africa: A country report, executive summary (Folscher, A.)
  The Budget Information Service of the Institute for Democracy in South Africa and the International Budget Project of the Centre for Budget and Policy Priorities based in Washington, D.C. have undertaken this report on transparency and participation in South Africa's budget process. The report may serve as an approach that would be of use to researchers in other countries who are interested in assessing how the IMF Code of Fiscal Transparency and other principles of transparency and participation could help inform and improve the budget process in their nations. The report borrows from, modifies, and adds to the IMF Code of Fiscal Transparency by emphasising the measures needed to facilitate effective participation by the legislature and civil society. The report describes in detail the need for: a) a legal framework for Fiscal Transparency; b) clarity of roles and responsibilities in practice; c) the public availability of information; d) independent Checks and Balances on the Budget; e) information on execution and Government Data. It also traces the exact budget decision making process. An executive summary is also provided.

Together Against Corruption: Designing Strategies, Assessing Impact, Reforming Corrupt Institutions - 10th IACC - Prague, 2001

• Cultural Support for Unethical Practices: The Case of a Hospital in Kyrgyzstan (Tasirdinov, T)
  
  
• Corruption in an ignored sector: assessing the level of impact of bribery on patients' access to health care and suggesting possible solutions to the problem (Danilovik, I)
  
  
• Under-the-table Payments for Health Services (Dr. Te Kuy Seang)
  
  
• Conflict of Interest as an ethical problem in Health Research in developing countries (Wikler, D)
  
  
• New Ways of Corruption and the Colombian Health System Reform (Londono Soto, B)
  
  
• Some Elements of Corruption in Transition Period in Moldova (Stempovscaia, E)
  

Different Cultures, Common Values - 11th IACC - Seoul, 2003

From the workshop entitled Curbing Corruption: Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals

• Development Of The Pharmaceutical Industry: How, Why, and When Corruption Came In (Dukes, G)
  
  
• Increasing Transparency in Pharmaceutical Systems: strengthening critical decisions points against corruption (Cercone, J)

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