This study examines various dimensions of primary health care delivery in Uganda, using a baseline survey of public and private dispensaries, the most common lower level health facilities in the country. The survey was designed and implemented by the World Bank in collaboration with the Makerere Institute for Social Research and the Ugandan Ministries of Health and of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. It was carried out in October December 2000 and covered 155 local health facilities and seven district administrations in ten districts. In addition, 1617 patients exiting health facilities were interviewed. Three types of dispensaries (both with and without maternity units) were included: those run by the government, by private for-profit providers, and by private nonprofit providers, mainly religious. This research is a Quantitative Service Delivery Survey (QSDS). It collected microlevel data on service provision and analyzed health service delivery from a public expenditure perspective with a view to informing expenditure and budget decision-making, as well as sector policy. Objectives of the study included: 1) Measuring and explaining the variation in cost-efficiency across health units in Uganda, with a focus on the flow and use of resources at the facility level; 2) Diagnosing problems with facility performance, including the extent of drug leakage, as well as staff performance and availability; 3) Providing information on pricing and user fee policies and assessing the types of service actually provided; 4) Shedding light on the quality of service across the three categories of service provider government, for-profit, and nonprofit; 5) Examining the patterns of remuneration, pay structure, and oversight and monitoring and their effects on health unit performance; 6) Assessing the private-public partnership, particularly the program of financial aid to nonprofits.
