Marwa Farag

July, 2009

"Does Funding From Donors Displace Government Spending For Health In Developing Countries?"

Journal Article, Health Affairs

By Marwa Farag, Research Fellow, The Dubai Initiative

ABSTRACT: The notable increases in funding from various donors for health over the past several years have made examining the effectiveness of aid all the more important. We examine the extent to which donor funding for health substitutes for-rather than complements- health financing by recipient governments. We find evidence of a strong substitution effect. The proportionate decrease in government spending associated with an increase in donor funding is largest in low-income countries. The results suggest that aid needs to be structured in a way that better aligns donors' and recipient governments' incentives, using innovative approaches such as performance-based aid financing. [Health Affairs 28, no. 4 (2009): 1045-1055; 10.1377/hlthaff.28.4.1045]

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April 17, 2008

Economic Analysis of the Nurse Shortage in Egypt

Working Paper

By Marwa Farag, Research Fellow, The Dubai Initiative

The health sector in Egypt suffers from a severe shortage of qualified nurses (nurses with at least 2 years of post high school nursing education) and a much less apparent perceived/real shortage of all-type nurses. This paper examines the nurse labor market in Egypt for evidence of such shortages and explores potential reasons behind them. It was submitted as part of the Dubai School of Government's working paper series.

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