How 'inclusive' are the World Bank's Poverty Reduction Strategies? An analysis of Tanzania and Uganda's health sectors

This project examines the World Bank's Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) and their commitment to improved health policy for sub-Saharan Africa. The new 'country-driven' and 'comprehensive' focus implies a departure from past development policies and includes room for countries to strengthen internal social policy. Ideologically, it appears that the World Bank has altered its neo-liberal mandate and is shifting toward a more 'embedded' or 'inclusive' liberal mandate that promotes domestic protections for developing countries. Through a comparison of Tanzania and Uganda, this paper measures the possibilities for 'inclusive' liberalism by analyzing policy changes within the health sectors, with specific focus on funding, access and equity and collaboration efforts. The project concludes that although PRSPs include social welfare principles that resemble a new model of 'inclusive' liberalism, this change is not yet producing 'pro-poor' health policy as a result of an inability to translate broad World Bank principles into tangible goals.