Corruption presents a significant danger to public health as it undermines the effectiveness, quality and accessibility of health-care services while driving up costs. It deprives communities of essential services, vital products and crucial resources, while impeding individuals' right to health care. Vulnerable and marginalized populations are particularly affected by corruption in the health-care sector.

Several factors contribute to the vulnerability of health systems to corruption at all levels. First, accessing health care can be a matter of life and death and individuals may therefore find themselves compelled to turn to corruption to, for example, access critical services or bypass long waiting times. Second, health systems are complex in nature, involving multiple stakeholders with conflicting interests. Third, there are often information asymmetries between different health sector actors. Finally, governments allocate substantial resources to support public health systems, making them susceptible to embezzlement and other corrupt practices. Such extensive resources can even lead to state capture, where pharmaceutical companies, for instance, exert influence to shape national drug policies in their favour.

The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the existing corruption risks within health systems globally. During times of crisis, standard procurement processes may be suspended to ensure swift assistance, increasing the likelihood of corruption and the selection of unqualified suppliers, ultimately resulting in substandard or non-existent products. These actions misuse public funds, harm health care quality and can lead to collusion among health-care providers to inflate prices or restrict the supply of vital drugs and services.