PHA-Exch> The Financial Crisis and Global Health

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Ruggiero, Mrs. Ana Lucia (WDC) <ruglucia at paho.org>
crossposted from: EQUIDAD at listserv.paho.org

 *The Financial Crisis and Global Health*

*Report of a High-Level Consultation*

* *

*World Health Organization, Geneva - 19 January 2009*

* *

Available onlinePDF [18p.] at:
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/meetings/2009_financial_crisis_report_en_.pdf

* *"…..The objectives were:

(a) to build awareness of the ways in which an economic downturn may affect
health spending, health services, health-seeking behaviour and health
outcomes;

(b) to make the case for sustaining investments in health; and

(c) to identify actions – including monitoring of early warning signs – that
can help to mitigate the negative impact of economic downturns.

 *Conclusions: a five-point framework for action*

 The consultation suggested five areas where action at global, regional and
country levels – with support from WHO – will help to ensure that the health
sector emerges from the crisis in good condition.

* **Leadership*

Leaders in health must be prepared to speak out – unequivocally and on the
basis of sound evidence – to make the case for health at times of crisis.
This must happen at country level, where health ministers and their
officials work with ministries of finance. Regional institutions can be a
powerful force in bringing countries together. At global level, it is
imperative that the need for safeguarding progress in health, and ensuring
that donors keep to their commitments, becomes a focus in meetings of global
leaders. WHO should ensure a strong voice for health through its work on
advocacy.

* **Monitoring and analysis*

Contingency planning must be based on good quality information. It is clear
that the impact of the crisis will vary country by country. Country-specific
analysis will therefore be essential to guide policy and to assess the
potential impact on different populations and institutions. Early warning
systems will require collaboration between organizations with complementary
fields of expertise. In addition, WHO will pay particular attention to
monitoring financial flows for health from governments and donors as well as
the cost and availability of medicines and other forms of care.

* **Pro-poor and pro-health public spending*

There is widespread agreement that counter-cyclical public spending provides
a means of reviving economies. Aid will play a key role in providing a boost
that many low-income countries cannot finance alone. The challenge is to
ensure that spending is genuinely pro-poor and that, where possible, it has
a positive impact on health. Infrastructure investments provide one route,
but other opportunities for safeguarding lives and income can also be
identified. Short-term measures can provide the basis for more ethical
public spending in the future.

* **Policies for the health sector*

Primary health care provides an overarching approach to policy at a time of
financial crisis. Its continuing relevance lies in its value base –
stressing the importance of equity, solidarity and gender; through
inclusiveness – and the objective of working towards universal coverage and
pooling of risk; through a multisectoral approach to achieving better
outcomes; and through utilizing the assets of all health actors in the
private, voluntary and nongovernment sectors. WHO should provide support, on
request, through country offices supported, as necessary, by regional
offices and headquarters.

* **New ways of doing business in international health*

The financial crisis requires that the international health community asks
some fundamental questions about the way it operates. These include: how to
reduce overlap and duplication between the work of different agencies; how
to promote greater synergy between individual health programmes; how to
ensure that key health promoting interventions in areas such as nutrition
and sanitation are not neglected; how to accelerate progress in United
Nations reform; how to bring a greater number of specific initiatives more
in line with country priorities?

Progress will depend on action at country, regional and global level. WHO is
also concerned to increase its own effectiveness, and work is in hand to
seek efficiencies, to explore new and better ways of working, and to review
priorities…."
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