GLOBAL SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY INITIATIVES: REVIEW OF STUDIES CONDUCTED TO ADDRESS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT IN MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines a client-centred health
care system and its providers as whereby clients/users are “facilitated to
identify, demand and receive services, supplies, information and
emotional support they need”. The focus on clients’ perception of quality
ensures continued uptake and better health outcomes. In responding to the
need for responsive and quality public service provision, human
development researchers and planners have identified “social
accountability” as a valuable tool that ensures the effective provision of
public services. We conducted a review and synthesis of literature to

identify findings in the conduct and gaps in research surrounding social
accountability and health outcomes in general and specifically in
Pakistan. A literature search was conducted using search engines of
pubmed initially and followed by google/scholar on the topic of quality
improvement following a social accountability model focusing on health
globally and in Pakistan specifically. A saturated keyword approach was
followed moving on to various combinations of search terms. All search
terms and the results were recorded. To ensure all important literature is
captured, the search was conducted by two researchers that were trained
on the search guidelines.
The key prerequisites for the successful implementation of any SA model,
regardless of the service sector being addressed, are similar concerning
the major stakeholders namely the government/policy makers, citizens and
service providers. Social accountability initiatives are most likely to
succeed if these are sanctioned and encouraged by the government in an
effort to improve service delivery for its citizens. Civil society
organizations function effectively when the government invites and
institutionalizes these giving them a legal or official status to conduct
oversight activities