Good planning and policymaking in the health sector require timely, accurate information about spending on inputs and services, as well as funding prospects in the near and medium terms. While some routine data are available on total health expenditure (divided into public and private spending) for most countries, more timely, complete, and detailed data are required for policymaking. In many developing countries, neither government agencies nor development agencies have routine access to such information at a level of detail that is useful for answering key policy questions. This information gap contributes to governments using incremental, rather than strategic, approaches to health-sector budgeting and thus missing opportunities to get more health for the money.