The feasibility of government partnerships with NGOs in the reproductive health field in Mexico.

In 1995 the Mexican government began to develop policies on establishing collaborative agreements with civil society organisations, and there is currently interest in Mexico in government and NGOs working together. This paper analyses whether the conditions exist in Mexico for successful partnerships between the public sector and NGOs in the reproductive health field. In-depth interviews were carried out with key informants in the public sector at national and state level and the NGO sector in six states in Mexico. Partnerships were found to be an option for the provision of reproductive health services in geographical areas where the population is under-served, and for services the government does not provide. While the contribution of NGOs to the reproductive health field is recognised, at least at federal level, there are still very few public agencies that collaborate with NGOs, and agreements are often limited to short-term financing of projects. The future of NGOs in Mexico will depend largely on their ability to obtain funding from within the country. More effective mechanisms are needed by government to generate resources for health care. Government must recognise the specific contribution of NGOs, including inputs of social capital and creation of community networks, and must share decision-making more equitably with NGO for partnerships to succeed.