What social factors contribute to the tragic state of health care in Africa? Focussing on East African societies, this book is the first to investigate what role religion plays in health care in African cultures. Taking in to account the geopolitical and economic environments of the region, the authors examine the roles played by individual and group beliefs, government policies, and pressure from the Millennium Development Goals in affecting health outcomes. Informed by existing related studies, and on-the-ground interviews with individuals and organisations in Uganda, Mozambique and Ethiopia this interdisciplinary book will form an invaluable resource for scholars seeking to better understand the links between society, multi-level state instruments, and health care in East Africa.