[VNPH Family] PHA-Exch> Funding for primary health care in developing countries (7)
Claudio Schuftan
Ismet Dewji has identified a key issue – exclusion. Who is excluded , and how they can be included is an issue of values that is often overlooked while promoting community participation. However, in my experience, if this issue is raised within the community it begins to get addressed.
I support de-centralization for it gives opportunity to local people to take charge of their lives. However, a friend fro Sri Lanka once said that it is only a centralized system that will ensure that equity prevails. His argument was strong, and the case of Sri Lanka is a great one to see how even a war torn country can have a sound health system that provides universal coverage and has not been broken by the pressures of the World Bank that attempts to push back the responsibilities of the State to provide health care.