title: Prospects for the sustainability of delivering the Basic Package of Health Services in Afghanistan: a stakeholder analysis.
abstract: This study explored the readiness of stakeholders in Afghanistan for sustaining delivery of the Basic Package of Health Services (BPHS) without external technical and financial assistance. A stakeholder analysis was applied using qualitative methods. Fifteen stakeholders were purposively drawn from the Afghanistan ministries of public health and finance, political representatives, development partners, nonprofit organizations and public health experts. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with the stakeholders and desk review of pertinent documents. We found that sustainability of the BPHS in Afghanistan is questionable as stakeholders are suboptimally organized to come up with effective alternatives. Uneven ownership and divisive positioning are bottlenecks to the evolution of a realistic continuation plan. Those with the most significant influence are lukewarm, while those who are most supportive have the least influence. Sustainability needs to be tackled at the start in designing the BPHS rather than in the wake of eventual donor withdrawal.
authors: Ghazanfar Institute of Health Sciences, Ministry of Public Health, Kabul, Afghanistan.
authors: A M
authors: AM
authors: Haidari
authors: Department of Community Health Science, Women and Child Health Division, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Zaidi
authors: School of Nursing, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Gul
mesh_terms: D000346:Afghanistan; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005381:Financing, Organized; D033161:Government Regulation; D006291:Health Policy; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D036301:Qualitative Research