PHM-Exch> Strong Ministries for Strong Health Systems

[Claudio Schuftan]

CROSSPOSTED FROM: EQUIDAD at listserv.paho.org


 *Strong Ministries for Strong Health Systems*

Francis Omaswa, Executive Director The African Center for Global Health and
Social Transformation (ACHEST)

Jo Ivey Boufford, President The New York Academy of Medicine
*Support from The Rockefeller Foundation - January 2010*


Available online PDF [32p.] at: http://bit.ly/bRzkGN


"......Strengthening health systems is a major priority of the Rockefeller
Foundation. They support better health and financial protection for poor and
vulnerable people through improved health systems performance and
progressive adoption of universal health coverage.

While health systems have received worldwide attention, little has been done
to strengthen ministries of health, the central institutions responsible for
stewardship of health systems at the country level. This report addresses
the gaps in our understanding of the roles ministries play, their needs and
the challenges they face, so that we can take effective action to fortify
them...."

*Report Highlights*

** ".............*Strengthening health systems has emerged as a priority in global
and national health policy and practice.

** *A *health system *is defined for the purposes of this report as
consisting of four core elements: personal health care services, public or
population health services, health research systems, and health in all
policies. Effective health systems strengthening requires attention to all
four of these elements.

** *Governments are *stewards, *or protectors, of the public interest and
have the ultimate responsibility for assuring condi-tions that allow people
to be as healthy as they can be. Ministries of health and the ministers who
lead them must be able to perform a set of core stewardship functions within
the ministry and across government. Stewardship is one of the central
building blocks of an effective health system.

** *Health ministries must also work effectively with an increasing number
of non-governmental partners who bring im-portant knowledge, expertise, and
advocacy to help them meet their responsibilities (e.g. universities,
professional associations, academies of medicine and science, business,
civil society). *Governance *is the alignment of multiple actors and
interests, such as these, to promote collective action towards an agreed
upon goal, in this case, to assure the best use of resources for health.

** *Despite the central role ministers and ministries of health play in
these processes, they are currently overlooked when investments are being
made and initiatives are being designed to strengthen health systems.

** *Among the ministers and stakeholders interviewed, there was significant
support for the specific proposals for an execu-tive leadership development
program for new ministers, leadership support for sitting ministers, and the
establishment of a virtual information resource center on health systems
stewardship and governance.

** *There is a need to build awareness among politicians, policy makers, and
the public, of the importance of stewardship and governance in strengthening
health systems, and the critical role of ministers and ministries of health.


** *Based on data from minister and stakeholder interviews and supporting
research and consultation activities, this report of-fers seven action items
geared toward building *a systematic and sustained program of support for
health ministries. *Recommendations and proposals provided address:

- Capacity assessment tools

- Leveraging existing management development resources

- Mapping country networks of expertise

- Regional networks to support health systems stewardship and governance

- A knowledge network for ministers of health

- Executive leadership development

- Advocacy for strengthening health ministries

** *Collective action on these proposals is needed to strengthen health
ministries, enhance the leadership capabilities of ministers, and assure
their full ability to serve as effective stewards of health resources in the
drive to achieve national, regional, and global health objectives...."
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://phm.phmovement.org/pipermail/phm-exchange-phmovement.org/attachments/20100526/46ed3f70/attachment.html>