HFG DRM for Health Workshop

MOHs are responsible for using scarce government resources to promote the health of the population, while MOFs are responsible for allocating and ensuring the efficient use of all government resources. However, the MOF-MOH relationship is often strained, with MOHs claiming they do not receive sufficient resources to meet their needs and MOFs asserting that MOHs cannot demonstrate productive use of the funds they receive. MOFs are typically staffed by economists, MBAs, and accountants who speak the language of money, costs, and benefits. In contrast, MOHs are staffed by doctors, nurses, and public health specialists who speak the language of morbidity and mortality, epidemiology, and primary, secondary, and tertiary care. This language barrier can hinder effective communication between the two ministries. The health sector has distinct features that differ from other sectors, including fluctuating budgetary needs, non-productive outputs, and the difficulty of monetizing the value of good health. Despite these challenges, there are shared objectives between MOFs and MOHs that can serve as a basis for more productive relationships. Both ministries want to allocate resources effectively, minimize costs, and promote a healthy and productive workforce. They also share a common goal of reducing poverty and promoting the health and education of children. In many low- and middle-income countries, economic growth has led to increased resources, and the external support surge for health in the 2000s is waning, creating opportunities for more effective resource allocation. The hypotheses of this workshop suggest that the shared objectives between MOFs and MOHs can be the basis for more productive relationships. By applying tools and approaches from both sides, better outcomes on shared objectives can be achieved. A more effective, efficient, and equitable health sector can attract more government resources and achieve more against shared objectives.