Partnerships with the Private Sector in Health: What the International Community Can Do to Strengthen Health Systems in Developing Countries

The private sector plays a significant role in delivering health care to people in developing countries. By some estimates, more than one-half of all health care—even to the poorest people—is provided by private doctors, other health workers, drug sellers, and other non-state actors.This reality creates problems and potential. By and large, developing-country health policy and donor-supported health programs fail to address the problems, or capture the potential of the private sector in health. Interest is growing, within the donor community and among policymakers in developing-country governments, to find ways to work with the private sector to accelerate progress toward high-priority health objectives.