Title: Effectiveness of health systems strengthening interventions in Africa: a systematic review

Authors: Olaiya O. Fatodu; Olusola O. Oyenuga

Addresses: c/o Malaysia Institute for Supply Chain Innovation, No. 2A, Persiaran Tebar Layar, Seksyen U8, Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam, 40150 Selangor, Malaysia ' Rite Aid Pharmacy, Edgewood, MD, USA

Abstract: World Health Organization devoted World Health Report of 2000 to health systems performance. Since then, many international development partners and national governments have been funding health systems strengthening (HSS) interventions. Interventions that are included in this review are those that were carried out in single or multiple African countries. Among other criteria, such interventions had to directly target at least one of six HSs building blocks. Eighteen relevant evaluations were critically appraised for quality from 200 potentially relevant evaluations. No intervention concurrently strengthened all the six HSs building blocks and none improved all four overall outcomes of HSS. HSS intervention in Africa deserves more attention by policy makers, global health funders, and public health professionals in Africa. This systematic review reveals shortcomings of HSS interventions in Africa and makes four evidence-based recommendations to guide and improve future HSS interventions in Africa to enable them have impacts on all intermediate and overall HSS outcomes indicators.

Keywords: health systems strengthening; HSS; health systems; Africa; health systems intervention.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHP.2019.101686

International Journal of Healthcare Policy, 2019 Vol.1 No.1, pp.52 - 69

Received: 16 Sep 2015
Accepted: 19 Feb 2016
Published online: 21 Aug 2019 *