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Health

Corruption and anti-corruption efforts in the health sector

Related topics

Public service delivery

Health emergencies and pandemics

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John Isaac / World Bank

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Basic guide

Read our introduction to corruption and anti-corruption efforts in health.

Research and policy agenda

Discover what U4 and others do to advance research and reduce corruption in health.

Featured content

Health sector corruption

Donors should support long-term, strategic approaches to health sector integrity based on a sound understanding of dynamics in the sector and different actors' roles.

Addressing corruption in health emergencies

Corruption during Covid-19

Find out how corruption materialised during Covid-19, what drove it and how it impacted people. Also highlighted are anti-corruption strategies deployed and lessons learned for use in other health emergencies.

30 November 2022

Tackling fraud and corruption in Indonesia’s health insurance system

Proper assessment, management, and mitigation of fraud and corruption risks is crucial for safeguarding Indonesia’s National Health Insurance programme.

3 November 2022

U4 Practice Insight

Transparency as a game changer in the health sector?

Experience from transparency initiatives for pharmaceutical policy in Colombia show that ‘radical’ transparency is necessary but not sufficient. A set of corruption prevention measures applied together is key to transformative change.

25 October 2022

From the blog

Blog
Corruption is absent from the UN ‘World of Debt‘ report
A recent UN report warns that external public debt engenders greater poverty and inequality. Yet, it fails to mention how corruption worsens this picture.
1 November 2023
Public financial management
Health
Public service delivery
Migration
Blog
Logistics in health emergencies: dealing with fraud and corruption risks across supply chains (Part 3 of 3)
This third and final blog in the series examines Pillar 8 of the Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP), which covers Operational support, logistics, and supply chains. Pillar 8 is central to a successful response and as a result, highly vulnerable to corruption.
21 May 2023
Health emergencies and pandemics
Health
Corruption risk management and integrity
Blog
A checklist for ‘designing out’ fraud and corruption from health emergencies (Part 2 of 3)
This second blog in the series examines Pillar 1 (Coordination, planning, financing, and monitoring) of the WHO Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan. The pillars are a package to guide coordinated responses at national, regional, and global levels. Pillar 1 is important because it cuts across all the other nine pillars and sets the stage for a successful response.
21 May 2023
Health emergencies and pandemics
Health
Public service delivery
Blog
Identify the ‘red flags’: reducing fraud and corruption during Covid-19 (Part 1 of 3)
Covid-19 offers a valuable window into tackling many forms of fraud and corruption.
21 May 2023
Health emergencies and pandemics
Health
Public service delivery
Blog
The anti-corruption potential of the District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2)
District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2) can help all countries – at all income levels – to tackle corruption through effective, transparent use of data.
19 September 2022
Health
Corruption risk management and integrity
Health emergencies and pandemics
Blog
Corruption in the medical supply chain: lessons from the pandemic
Corruption in the medical supply chain has been amplified by the Covid-19 pandemic. But this can help us identify ways to mitigate corruption in future health crises.
23 June 2022
Health emergencies and pandemics
Health
Procurement
Private sector
Corruption risk management and integrity
Blog
Is blockchain hitching a ride on the Covid-19 vaccination wave?
The complexity and transnational nature of pharmaceutical supply chains demand sophisticated collaborations to ensure the safe distribution of vaccines – not just a safeguarding database.
23 June 2022
Health
Health emergencies and pandemics
Public service delivery
Blog
Improving Covid-19 vaccine coverage by mitigating corruption risks in the supply chain
How to ensure that vaccines and development assistance benefit those who need them most.
20 June 2022
Health emergencies and pandemics
Health
Public service delivery
Blog
Covid-19 corruption in 2021: the pandemic rages on
How corruption has contributed to prolonging the Covid-19 health crisis.
8 December 2021
Health emergencies and pandemics
Health

Featured course

Facilitated course

Addressing corruption in the health sector

Improve your understanding of how corruption affects health systems, how it hinders access to health care, and what can be done about it.

Date to be determined

Latest publications

U4 Helpdesk Answer
Corruption in vaccines research and clinical trials. Risks in low-income countries
Corruption risks in vaccine research and clinical trials in lower-income nations, include undue influence, bribery and misappropriation of the research funds.
7 November 2024
Health
U4 Helpdesk Answer
The impacts of corruption on women and their role in preventing corruption
Corruption restricts women’s participation in public, economic and political life, limiting their influence over decision-making.
30 August 2024
Gender
Health
U4 Helpdesk Answer
Egypt: Corruption and anti-corruption. A focus on non-financial corruption risks
Cronyism, patronage and opacity, particularly within the military and police, undermine the stability and development in Egypt.
8 August 2024
Education
Health
Anti-corruption basics
U4 Helpdesk Answer
Corruption and anti-corruption within social protection systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)
Corruption in social protection disproportionately affects vulnerable groups, exacerbating poverty and inequality, and has prompted a shift to preventive approaches.
5 March 2024
Public service delivery
Health
Public financial management
U4 Helpdesk Answer
Uzbekistan: Corruption and anti-corruption
Uzbekistan's shift to an open-market economy under the current government faces challenges, with persistent authoritarianism, widespread corruption, limited civic space, and arrests of activists and journalists on questionable charges, hindering transparency and democracy reforms.
22 February 2024
Anti-corruption basics
Health
Education
U4 Helpdesk Answer
Corruption risks in maternal and perinatal health
Corruption in maternal health can deter women from attending health facilities for childbirth, thus risking lives. Drivers for the surge of unnecessary procedures, like caesarean sections, require further research.
29 September 2023
Health
Gender
U4 Brief
Falsified medicines in Colombia – analysis from an anti-corruption perspective
In Colombia, public institutions face corruption drivers that promote the commercialisation of illegitimate pharmaceutical products.
20 December 2022
Health
U4 Helpdesk Answer
Corruption risks related to investment in vaccine manufacturing facilities in Africa
Diversifying manufacturing facilities in Africa will require a large-scale investment of resources – which brings significant corruption risks.
19 December 2022
Health emergencies and pandemics
Health
U4 Issue
Corruption during Covid-19
Find out how corruption materialised during Covid-19, what drove it and how it impacted people. Also highlighted are anti-corruption strategies deployed and lessons learned for use in other health emergencies.
30 November 2022
Health emergencies and pandemics
Health

Further Resources

Resource from others
Tackling corruption to move towards universal health coverage and health security
Corruption disproportionately harms the health of the disadvantaged, increases mortality rates, hampers HIV/AIDS care, disrupts medical supply chains, and erodes trust in health systems, emphasising the need for effective anti-corruption strategies.
Resource from others
Anti-corruption in global health systems
Effective anti-corruption mechanisms are vital for maintaining quality healthcare and equitable access to health products, especially in times of crisis.
Resource from others
The risk of corruption in public pharmaceutical procurement
Mechanisms such as open contracting and integrity pacts are effective in mitigating corruption risks.
Resource from others
The potential for digital technology to address anti-corruption in the pharmaceutical supply chain
Despite the growth in technology research, there is a gap in applying these technologies to anti-corruption efforts in global health.
Resource from others
Low returns to health investments unless you address governance issues
Resource from others
Digital technology for health sector governance in low and middle income countries
Resource from others
Anti-corruption, transparency and accountability in health systems assessments
11 July 2019
Resource from others
The ignored pandemic
Resource from others
Exploring anti-corruption in multilateral organisations (WHO, UNDP, and more)
Resource from others
Principles and guidelines for governance in hospitals in Egypt
Resource from others
Risk-based anti-corruption in the health sector in Tunisia

Topic Experts

Monica Kirya

Monica Kirya

U4 Deputy Director

Daniel Sejerøe Hausenkamph

Daniel Sejerøe Hausenkamph

Adviser

Daniela Cepeda Cuadrado

Daniela Cepeda Cuadrado

Senior Adviser

Related topics

Public service delivery

Corruption and anti-corruption efforts in basic service sectors

Updated 1 December 2022

Education

Corruption and anti-corruption efforts in the education sector

Updated 28 October 2021

Health emergencies and pandemics

Lessons on how to strengthen anti-corruption efforts during urgent health crises (eg Covid-19)

Updated 14 April 2025

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The U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre works to reduce the harmful impact of corruption on society. U4 is a permanent centre at Chr. Michelsen Institute in Norway.

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