Decentralization for delivering better health services in Liberia: lesson from the Philippines

Abstract

This paper argues that decentralization is a panacea to better health service delivery in Liberia provided it is being buttressed by the financial and moral backing of both the central and the local governments, the capacity of local leaders are well-built, as well as the continuous monitoring and evaluation of the process. Liberia, the first negro republic on the continent of Africa, is on the path to transition into decentralization with the high hope to reverse the lack of development, inefficiency, and ineffectiveness associated with the delivery of health services as a result of the prolonged centralized form of governance inherited from the American Colonial Society. Looking at the Philippine experience, the study found that the health sector decentralization process was perceived as an unfinished administrative devolution that eventually resulted into disintegration of health care services. The study adopted the qualitative approach (the secondary source of data collection). Keywords—decentralization, centralization, health service