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AbstractThe effectiveness of health aid remains contested. Previous estimates fail to distinguish between fragmented, poorly‐targeted aid and aid disbursed under aid effectiveness principles. To address this gap, we investigated whether the sector‐wide approach (SWAp), a mechanism for aid delivery built on aid effectiveness principles, has delivered improvements in aid effectiveness and infant mortality. Results suggest that SWAp implementation facilitated a 5.8% to 8.1% reduction in the infant mortality rate compared to non‐implementing countries. This effect likely operates by releasing domestic resources and/or increasing the efficiency with which domestic resources are converted into health gains. Development partners should take heart that the aid effectiveness agenda appears to have paid dividends in the health sector.

Abstract
Does temperature affect decision-making abilities and rationality? Using Indonesian data, we estimate how risky choices, impatience and rational choice violations vary with exposure to temperature. We show that hot weather temporarily increases rational choice violations and impatience, but does not affect risk-related decisions. These effects are primarily driven by nighttime rather than daytime temperatures. We provide suggestive evidence that the mechanism behind these effects is decreased sleep quality, affecting cognition the following day, particularly math skills. These skills are critical for rational and utility-maximising decision-making. Effects are largest for economically disadvantaged households and in areas with low rates of air-conditioning.

The Solomon Islands' Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) commissioned this Health Facilities Costing Study ('the study') to better understand how resources are used to deliver health services. The MHMS oversees two main sources of recurrent funds in support of this system: annual appropriations from domestic government resources and budget support from its development partners, including via the Health Sector Support Program (HSSP). The MHMS recorded recurrent expenditures of SBD 403 million in 2013, including SBD 262 million from domestic resources and SBD 141 million from HSSP, which amounted to 17 percent of total government recurrent expenditure. The MHMS uses these funds to support facilities at all levels of the health system, the National Referral Hospital (NRH; unless NRH is specifically mentioned it is not included as part of general reference to 'hospitals'), provincial and church hospitals (referred to as hospitals in this report unless otherwise specified), Area Health Centres (AHC), Rural Health Clinics (RHC) and Nurse Aid Posts (NAP), and national programs. This study focuses on the facilities only. Although the MHMS manages an estimated 96 percent of total health expenditure, little is known about how resources are used by these facilities. The study was designed to estimate the recurrent costs (staffing, medical supplies, transport, utilities and maintenance) currently incurred by health facilities, taking into account funds from the MHMS, as well as from churches, private organisations and patients.