The Uttar Pradesh Health System Strengthening Project (UPHSSP) supported by the International Development Association (IDA) is implementing various strategies to improve the quality of healthcare service in Uttar Pradesh, the most populous low income state in India. The objective of UPHSSP is to improve efficiency, quality and accountability of health services delivery by strengthening the state health department’s management and systems capacity. One vital subcomponents of this project includes introducing and strengthening the social accountability of service providers and public health institutions.
This impact evaluation seeks to evaluate the effect of social accountability interventions in improving primary healthcare delivery and health outcomes in the state. Results from this impact evaluation will influence better design of social accountability initiatives for large scale rollout under the project and other national programs (National Health Mission). The intervention is focused on primary care services in the rural areas, which benefits the poor and women. The evaluation’s research questions are whether the social accountability intervention in Uttar Pradesh improves objective measures of health service quality in practice, village-level satisfaction with health services, and village-level health outcomes.
The baseline survey was conducted from March to September 2015 to generate current estimates for various healthcare performance indicators in the sampled villages. The findings will serve as a crucial input for designing social accountability strategies and interventions.