In many low-income countries, the quality of public health care is so poor that individuals are not keen on using it – even if it costs little or is for free. To improve the utilization of health services, and to reduce inequality in health, planners, managers and clinicians must therefore strive to enhance and maintain good quality in health care provision.  

To help its partners improve the quality of services provided by their healthcare systems, German Development Cooperation supports the following approaches: 

• Systemic Quality Improvement (SQI): SQI is designed as an inspiring competition between health facilities aiming to first improve and then maintain their service quality. German Development Cooperation supports its partner institutions in introducing and managing standardised processes of self-assessment, participatory planning and benchmarking, peer evaluation and joint learning throughout the health facilities’ implementation of agreed improvement plans. 
• Accreditation: In most partner countries, a national accreditation agency coordinates the assessment of participating health facilities and the accreditation of those who perform according to its approved standards. German Development Cooperation supports the development of national quality standards in accordance with those defined by international accreditation agencies. It provides capacity development for national accreditation agencies, for peer assessors/surveyors and for health facilities striving to reach and maintain the standards required for accreditation.