The Effects of Foreign Aid on Women's Health in Egypt and Jordan: A Systematic Review
Abstract
Objective: Threats to cut U.S. foreign aid funding could halt the progress achieved in global health. As a result, it is important to understand the effects of foreign aid on public health in recipient countries. This systematic review aims to identify and summarize the current impact of foreign aid on women’s health in Egypt and Jordan, which receive a large share of foreign aid. Methods: The review was conducted in two parts; 1) a systematic search in peer-reviewed journal articles; and 2) a systematic search of the grey literature on websites of major development organizations working on women’s health issues and in online impact evaluation databases. The search was limited to interventions funded by foreign aid, and those conducted from 2000-current which presented empirical evidence of the impact of interventions regarding women’s health. Results: A total of eleven interventions: five in Egypt and six in Jordan met the inclusion criteria. All the interventions were funded by USAID, and mainly targeted maternal and reproductive health by promoting the use of modern family planning through media campaigns, brochure distribution, and/or community outreach activities. Results indicate that the interventions have improved the likelihood of spousal discussions of family planning, knowledge about danger signs during pregnancy, delivery and birth, and changed attitudes about modern family planning methods. Conclusion: USAID interventions have positively contributed to women’s health in Egypt and Jordan. Women’s health in these two countries will be further improved if the foreign aid organizations continue funding these intervention programs.
Subject Area
Public health|Public policy
Recommended Citation
Nabulsi, Lina N, "The Effects of Foreign Aid on Women's Health in Egypt and Jordan: A Systematic Review" (2018). Texas Medical Center Dissertations (via ProQuest). AAI10792504.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/dissertations/AAI10792504