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Industrial productivity, health sector performance and policy synergies for inclusive growth: a study in Tanzania and Kenya

Investigators

Maureen Mackintosh, The Open University (Principal Investigator)
Roberto Simonetti, The Open University
Paula Tibandebage, REPOA, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and The Open University
Watu Wamae, RAND-Europe
Samuel Wangwe, Executive Director, REPOA, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Mariana Mazzucato, University of Sussex and The Open University

Funding

Funding is gratefully acknowledged from the Economic and Social Research Council, UK, and the Department for International Development, UK, under the DFID-ESRC Growth Programme. All content on this page is the sole responsibility of the project investigators.

Grant period: 1 June 2012–30 November 2014

Summary

This project studies the supply chains into the health systems in Tanzania and Kenya of essential medicines and medical equipment and supplies from local industries and from imports. Shortages and unaffordability of these commodities are persistent causes of exclusionary and poor quality health care in low income Africa.

The project hypothesis is that better integration between industrial and health policies could contribute to higher employment, industrial upgrading, and improved health system performance and accessibility. If this is correct, improved industrial production – higher productivity, more appropriate and cheaper products, and innovative production methods – could improve health service performance while raising economic output: in other words, contribute to inclusive growth.

The project will interview heath facilities, shops and wholesalers in all sectors, in urban and rural contexts, about their procurement practices and problems. Mapping of supply chains will be followed by data collection at firm level. Private sector businesses and policymakers, and health sector managers and policymakers, will debate the scope for more integrated policy making.

Contact

Maureen Mackintosh, maureen.mackintosh@open.ac.uk

Last updated: 27 March 2013