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together and result into restricted access to health services especially by the poor people. This further
contributes to their decreased productivity and keep them in poverty.
1.2. Objectives and study methodology
The aim of the study is to analyse the current status and trends of access to health for the poor in OIC
and non-OIC countries, as well as efforts aimed at enhancing access to health for the poor in OIC
countries. In light of these objectives, the study aims to answer the following research questions:
(1) What is the current thinking around access to health for the poor?
(2) What is the general situation in OIC member countries and non-OIC member countries in
terms of access to health services, with a special emphasis for the poor?
(3) What are the levels of trends of access to health for the poor in OIC countries?
(4) How to organise health systems to enhance access to health for the poor? What policies have
the most potential to improve access to health for the poor in OIC countries?
The study pursued three strands of inquiry: First, we summarised the conceptual discussions around
access to health for the poor. This allowed to answer (1) and to lay the framework to tackle the
subsequent questions.
Second, we analysed the current status and trends regarding the access to health services in the world
and within the OIC, with a special especially on the poor. We harnessed a range of existing data on
demand for health, physical availability of healthcare, financial access to health, health risk factors and
health outcomes to shed light on trends and current situations within the OIC and between OIC and
non-OIC member states, at different levels of wealth and for different regions of the world.
Third, we conducted 4 in-depth case studies (Indonesia, Turkey, Uganda, Tunisia) to better understand
how to (or not to) enhance access to health for the poor. The case studies have been selected to
represent each OIC region and to provide a variety of situations regarding to past and present health
access situations. Finally, we draw some common lessons based on the case studies and then suggest
recommendations to improve the performance of access to health services within the OIC member
states with a specific emphasis on the poor.