Effect of Devolution on Local Health Expenditure and Delivery of Health Services

Effect of Devolution on Local Health Expenditure and Delivery of Health Services

Project Director:  Marites M. Tiongco
Funding Agency:  Department of Health (DOH) and Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD)

This study provides an understanding of the impact of devolution in the local health expenditure, including the patterns and factors of local health allocation. It determines the trends in local health expenditure over the period 1990-2014 to capture the pre-devolution (1990-1991) and post-devolution (1992-2014); identifies factors that could explain the trend in local health expenditures over the period 1990-2014; determines the relationship between health expenditure and health service delivery outcomes during pre- and post-devolution period; determines the effect of devolution on local government spending on health and on health service delivery outcomes; examines the perception of the effectiveness of devolution by local chief executives on local health expenditure and health service delivery; and identifies policy recommendations for the local government to make local health systems effective and more responsive. The findings specify possible policy recommendations and implications to the current system.

Key words:  local health expenditure, health service delivery, devolution impact, local chief executives, policy recommendations