This report shows that developing countries will only achieve healthy and educated populations if their governments take responsibility for providing essential services. Civil society organisations and private companies can make important contributions, but they must be properly regulated and integrated into strong public systems, and not seen as substitutes for them. Only governments can reach the scale necessary to provide universal access to services that are free or heavily subsidised for poor people and geared to the needs of all citizens – including women and girls, minorities, and the very poorest. But while some governments have made great strides, too many lack the cash, the capacity, or the commitment to act.
Governance and participation in health
In the public interest: Health, education, and water and sanitation for all
Oxfam International, 1 September 2006
Proposal on southern African social movements and civil society participation in the Nairobi 2007 World Social Forum
Southern Africa Social Forum, 14 October 2007
Civil society strengthening and movement building is not only an important element of democracy and democratisation; it is also a guarantee of the depth and effectiveness of democracy in our societies. One of the most high-profiled movements of this kind has been the World Social Forum (WSF). In 2007 the WSF will be hosted in Africa (Nairobi) for the first time in its history. This event gives African civil society organisations and social movements an opportunity to take stock of the process of solidarity and movement building on the continent and in its various regions. The Nairobi WSF also provides African civil society with the opportunity to exchange ideas on new ways of building solidarity and of strengthening civil society in Africa.
Civil Society and Social Issues in Health: Community in Action for Health
Berry S: Geneva Health Forum, 31 August 2006
The traditional top-down approach to development is widely criticised as being inappropriate to meet the needs of local populations, especially the very poor. In order to improve this situation, some development organisations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) favour approaches that integrate local communities in policy formation and implementation. Health, an important aspect of development, necessitates active involvement of the local population. The community remains the key actor in improving its own health standards and communicating its requirements to governments.
CSO capacity for policy engagement: Lessons learned from the CSPP consultations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America
Chowdhury N, Finlay-Notman C, Hovland I: Overseas Development Institute (ODI) Working Paper 272, August 2006
The nature of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in development work is changing, but how successfully – and leading where? Surprisingly, there is very little systematic research on how CSOs all over the world are influencing policy processes, especially from the point of view of those actually involved in the policymaking process in the South. This paper was written as part of the Civil Society Partnerships Programme (CSPP) to improve the capacity of Southern CSOs to influence pro-poor policy.
Hitting malaria where it hurts: Household and community responses in Africa
Jones C: ID21 Insights Health 9, August 2006
In many communities the symptoms of malaria are widely recognised. Decisions about choice and order of treatment are often based on people's experience of the effectiveness of particular treatments and the availability and cost of medication. Research on managing malaria in communities has been largely concerned either with individual perceptions about the causes and symptoms of the disease or with the implementation of specific interventions. It fails to provide essential information on the context in which communities and households cope with their day-to-day problems, including malaria. Further research needs to: * focus on the 'normality' of malaria and the social and political environments that influence how interventions are chosen and how they are used; and * increase understanding of the social, economic, political and historical contexts that shape household and community beliefs and behaviours.
How to move forward on governance and corruption
Fritz V: Overseas Development Institute Opinion (72) 1-2, July 2006
Corruption holds development back. The author proposes that the aid community needs to be more open-minded and to think harder about what works to deal with corruption, rather than prescribing standard formulas. The author reviews of the things we understand and the things we don’t and thence suggests five ways of moving forward.
Single public service legislation in the pipeline
South African Local Government Briefing, August 2006
Draft legislation to create a single public service for national, provincial and local government will be presented to the cabinet by November, says the Director-General of the Department of Public Service and Administration, Richard Levin. The proposed legislation would establish a framework for a single public service and would regulate organisational and human resource matters in all spheres of government. It would deal with conditions of service, labour relations, corruption and service delivery; including health services.
Further details: /newsletter/id/31747
The global health governance of antimicrobial effectiveness
Martin G: Globalization and Health 2:7, 25 April 2006
Antimicrobial resistance is a growing threat to public health the world over. Global health governance strategies need to address the erosion of antimicrobial effectiveness on three levels. Firstly, mechanisms to provide incentives for the pharmaceutical industry to develop antimicrobials for diseases threatening the developing world need to be sought out. Secondly, responsible use of antimicrobials by both clinicians and the animal food growing industry needs to be encouraged and managed globally. And lastly, in-country and international monitoring of changes in antimicrobial effectiveness needs to be stepped up in the context of a global health governance strategy.
Africa: Ask the women
Daniel P: Opendemocracy, 3 August 2006
To address Africa's deep-rooted problems, it's time to reject the superficial male charisma embodied by the likes of Tony Blair and Bob Geldof and instead mobilise the dynamic energies of African and Africa engaged women. The author discusses how Africa at its simplest already has a handful of problems, including, amongst others, HIV/AIDS and gender inequality. For example, the attempt to strengthen national systems in Africa continues to be thwarted by the high incidence of HIV/AIDS which is thinning out cohort after cohort of dynamic young professionals.
Reclaiming SADC for people's solidarity and development cooperation: Sechaba se ea bolaoa!
Southern African Peoples Solidarity Network (SAPSN).
The representatives of many economic justice networks, social development movements, women’s, workers, youth and small-scale farmers, human rights, educational and environmental organisations, and many others, from across the Southern African region gathered in Maseru, Lesotho under the auspices of the Southern African Peoples Solidarity Network (SAPSN). They held a People’s Summit to review their situation and share views on the state of regional development and cooperation, and so present their views to the Summit of the Heads of State and government ministers’ meeting in Maseru, 16-18 August 2006.