Donor support for HIV/AIDS control in sub-Saharan Africa: review of its contribution towards health system strengthening

Abstract

Background: Consequent to the signing of the MDGs in year 2000, a platform was created for the ''injection'' of donor funds into countries with great need. This was to accelerate the achievement of the goals by the year 2015. This systematic review assesses the evidence of how international developmental assistance has impacted upon development outcomes in health systems, focusing specifically on donor support for HIV/AIDS.
Methods: Via broad criteria the authors made the review as inclusive as possible and online search engines and databases including Embase, Google Scholar and Pubmed were searched over a period of eight months. Key words used to generate articles that fit the review topic included donor support, health systems, health outcomes, HIV/AIDs and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Results: The review identified discernible evidence of the impact of international developmental support for health services concerned with HIV/AIDS, with concerns for health systems strengthening.
Conclusion: Beyond the MDGs, the region needs a post-2015 development framework that will ensure sustainability for health system strengthening besides donor assistance. Donor support is only a part of the development picture. Economic growth and social progress as well as sustainable and workable policies for healthcare financing is needful, without which these countries which are over reliant on humanitarian actors will continue to cripple their ability to be self-sufficient and self reliant, and should these agencies cease to continue or run out of funding the consequences for the region will be dire.

Keywords: sub-Saharan Africa, donor support, HIV/AIDS, health systems strengthening.