From 23-27 June 2008, 12 countries participated in a workshop on Results-based Financing for Health in Kigali, Rwanda. The workshop was organized by the World Bank and supported by a multi-donor Health Results-based Financing Trust Fund with funding from the Government of Norway.

The objectives of this workshop were threefold. First, it aimed to stimulate discussion among key policy-makers and stakeholders about how results-based financing could contribute to national health policy goals of reducing malnutrition, child mortality and maternal mortality (MDGs 1b, 4 and 5). Second, it enabled countries to share experiences about the design and implementation of results-based financing mechanisms. Third, it allowed countries to learn about different RBF mechanisms and how to begin designing and planning the implementation of RBF within national programs.

The workshop was structured around a “Blueprint Guide” that outlined an iterative approach to designing and implementing RBF mechanisms. The workshop included (i) presentations by government teams, international researchers and Bank staff with experience in implementing RBF, and, (i) hands-on working sessions during which participants worked on country-specific RBF designs and action plans, and (iii) field visits to health care facilities in the vicinity of Kigali where participants could learn from doctors, nurses and health workers who have first-hand experience in implementing RBF.

The workshop was attended by participants from 12 countries: Afghanistan, Benin, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Rwanda, Senegal, South Sudan, Swaziland, Zambia. These countries fell into two groups: The first group was made up of the four of the five countries that have been awarded funding from the Health Results-based Financing Grant to implement results-based financing schemes as a component of their existing IDA projects (Afghanistan, DRC, Rwanda, Zambia). The second group was made up of eight countries that have expressed an interest in exploring how results-based financing could support their health policy goals.