Abstract
In the health sector, planning and resource allocation at country level are mainly guided by national plans. For each such plan, a midterm review of progress is important for policy-makers since the review can inform the second half of the plan’s implementation and provide a situation analysis on which the subsequent plan can be based. The review should include a comprehensive analysis using recent data – from surveys, facility and administrative databases – and global health estimates. Any midterm analysis of progress is best conducted by a team comprising representatives of government agencies, independent national institutions and global health organizations. Here we present an example of such a review, done in 2013 in the United Republic of Tanzania. Compared to similar countries, the results of this midterm review showed good progress in all health indicators except skilled birth attendance.
Highlights
In the health sector, regular reviews of progress and performance are critical for good planning and resource allocation
We present a midterm review done for the United Republic of Tanzania in 2013
According to United Nations projections,[20] the target child mortality set in the national strategic plan had already been reached by 2012
Summary
Regular reviews of progress and performance are critical for good planning and resource allocation. Most countries have a national strategic plan for the health sector that outlines major strategies and sets targets. Such plans often cover a period of five years and usually include regular monitoring of core indicators and the progress being made towards set targets. In a recent investigation of 75 countries, it was found that 58 (77%) countries were conducting annual reviews of their health sectors.[6] During the implementation of a strategic plan, such annual reviews are often supplemented with more extensive midterm and – sometimes – final reviews. The World Health Organization (WHO) has specified the key characteristics of a monitoring and evaluation platform for supporting regular reviews of health sector strategy.[7]
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