The impact of Official Development Assistance on health and access to water in the era of the Millennium Development Goals

Abstract

Since the advent of the idea of development following the end of the Second World War, the international community has sought to define and agree upon an agenda of priorities. The approval of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 are recent examples of this endeavor. In both sets of goals, those related to health are of capital importance, inasmuch as a healthy life develops capabilities that allow the achievement of other goals including good education, decent work, or political participation, among others. Foreign aid is an important support for any development agenda, particularly for the poorest countries. However, the effectiveness of such aid has been questioned since its beginnings, mainly due to the lack of evidence around its impact on economic growth. Considering that aid is intended for multiple sectors not directly related to economic growth, it is meaningful to ask whether aid targeted to any particular sector has indeed been generally effective. In this regard, the health sector is especially relevant as it forms a crucial aspect of the development purpose, and vast amounts of aid have been disbursed throughout past decades, intended to reduce morbidity and mortality and to promote healthy habits across the developing world...