Introduction

This chapter briefly introduces the evolution of health aid, its forms, and its objectives. In consonance with the prevailing emphasis on combatting diseases in health aid, also known as the “vertical” approach, it focuses on assistance targeting tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. The chapter problematizes the achievement of the global objectives for these diseases and the sustainability of both ongoing and completed disease control activities. It argues that, though vivid in geographic areas affected by health aid reductions, these problems are not limited to these areas only due to aid fragmentation and the issues associated with the roles of aid providers and recipients in the decision-making process. Building on the long-standing academic discussion, this chapter introduces the objective of this book: to explore the link between the sustainability of aid and relationships among stakeholders involved. It further expands on case selection by introducing the selected health care projects and providing contextual information on the Kyrgyz Republic, the country in which these projects have been implemented. The chapter concludes with brief information on the data collection process and the structure of this book.