This Gender Action report reviews the Multilateral Development Banks (MDB) - World Bank, African Development Bank (AfDB), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) - commitment to promoting reproductive health, preventing HIV and treating AIDS. It analyses the quantity and quality of funding for these issues during 2003-2006.
Resource allocation and health financing
Mapping multilateral development banks’ reproductive health and HIV/AIDS spending
Dennis S, Zuckerman E: Gender Action, 2007
Tanzania: World Bank approves additional funds for health development
Shalita S, Maro-Mzobora I: The World Bank, 5 July 2007
On 5 July 2007, the World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved an additional International Development Association (IDA) credit of US$60 million for the Government of Tanzania to support the second phase of the Health Sector Development Project. The additional funds will support Tanzania’s Second Health Sector Strategic Plan (HSSP) for an additional two years: 2007-2009. Through this project there will be increased funds for more efficient delivery of essential health services and staffing at district level.
Assessment implementation of the Uganda Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria
Uganda Coalition for Access to Essential Medicines
This report is from a study carried out by the Uganda Coalition for Access to Essential Medicines (UCAEM), to assess the implementation of the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, Malaria and TB in Uganda. The study was specifically designed to offer an analysis of the implementation process and activities of the UGFATMP with the aim of establishing the involvement of key stakeholders particularly CSOs, identify the challenges, document beneficiary perspectives and make recommendations on key CSOs concerns about the process. Despite successes around the world this report reveals that there are still concerns at the country level in Uganda.
Global Fund welcomes G8 recommitment
Angola Press, 26 June 2007
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has welcomed the latest "endorsement by the G8 leaders of US$6 billion to US$8 billion per year for the Global Fund, a three-fold increase from the current level," as "a strong agreement that makes it possible to defeat" the pandemics.
International experiences in removing user fees for health services; Implications for Mozambique
Yates R: DFID Health Resource Centre, 2006
Whether Governments should charge patients fees to use public health services has become one of the most contentious social policy issues worldwide. Sadly for policy makers, in recent years, the quality of debate in this area has often been poor, with opposing camps usually resorting to unproven theory and emotive rhetoric. Perhaps a new perspective should be brought to this debate. How would the world of business deal with this problem; which in effect, is an issue of what (if any) price one should charge for health services?
Working together for better health
Department for International Development, 5 June 2007
Hilary Benn of DFId calls for the global community to deliver better health for poorer people around the world.
Estimated global resources needed to attain universal coverage of maternal and newborn health services
Johns B, Sigurbjörnsdóttir K, Fogstad H, Zupan J, Mathaid M, Tan-Torres Edejer T: Bulletin of the World Health Organization 85 (4): 257-263, April 2007
A minimum yearly average increase in resources of US$ 3.9 billion is needed to scale up maternal and newborn health services within the context of the Millennium Development Goals, although annual costs increase over the time period of the model. When more rapid rates of scale-up are assumed, this minimum figure may be as high as US$ 5.6 billion per year. The 10-year estimated incremental costs range from US$ 39.3 billion for a moderate scale-up scenario to US$ 55.7 billion for the rapid scale-up scenario. These projections of future financial costs may be used as a starting point for mobilizing global resources. Countries will have to further refine these estimates, but these figures may serve as goals towards which donors can direct their plans. Further research is needed to measure the costs of health system reforms, such as recruiting, training and retaining a sufficient number of personnel.
Tanzanian Prime Minister calls on regional leaders to increase health spending to 15% of national budgets
The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health: 17 April 2007
More than 300 delegates gathered at the first-ever assembly of The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health. Hosted by the Government of Tanzania, the Partner's Forum (17-20 April 2007) declared that action is urgently required, if high rates of unjust deaths of mothers, babies and children in poor countries are to be reversed.
The case for social health insurance
Balfour-Kaipa T: Comment, Mail&Guardian, 4 April 2007
Social health insurance is critical for improving equity in our health system, which is characterised by tremendous disparities between public and private care. As much as there have been increases in real terms in the budgets for public health services, more funding is still required, especially in light of additional demands posed by HIV and Aids.
WHA must draw up emergency plans to bridge health financing and health worker gaps in Africa
Richards T: World AIDS Campaign, 15 May 2007
In a statement ahead of the WHA meetings, APHRA coordinator Rotimi Sankore stated: “The World Health Assembly has in the past three years passed several resolutions on health financing and health worker shortages - yet there has been an overall increase in annual African deaths resulting from lack of sustainable health finance and health worker shortages. The worlds Health Ministers must now move from passing resolutions to effecting resolutions and emergency action to end the deaths of over 8 million Africans a year to preventable, treatable and manageable diseases, caused mainly by maternal mortality, child mortality, HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria.”