Corruption in the health sector is a worldwide phenomenon that constitutes a deadly and complex challenge, says the Global Corruption Report 2006, which specifically focuses on corruption and health.

The report, by the non-governmental anticorruption watchdog Transparency International, estimates that the world spends more than three trillion dollars a year on health services. Such large flows of funds are an attractive target for abuse.

“The stakes are high and the resources precious: money lost to corruption could be used to buy medicines, equip hospitals or hire badly needed medical staff,” the report says.

But, “the diversity of health systems worldwide, the multiplicity of parties involved, the paucity of good record keeping in many countries, and the complexity in distinguishing among corruption, …