The Global Financing Facility Commits to the Lusaka Agenda
In the context of evolving needs in the global development landscape, changing demographics and disease burden, the GFF fully supports the Future of Global Health Initiatives (FGHI) process that has been carried out this year. We recognize the benefit of enhancing coordination, optimizing alignment and joint efforts, and increasing efficiencies with a view to long term solutions – and we welcome the final outcomes document of the FGHI process: The Lusaka Agenda: Conclusions of the Future of Global Health Initiatives Process.
Akin to what is outlined in the Lusaka Agenda, the GFF model is founded on the principle of country-owned, costed health plans to improve the health of women, children and adolescents. The hallmark of the GFF model has been its country leadership approach, supporting countries’ priorities – including an emphasis on equity, gender equality, support for alignment of resources, and use of data for better decision making and faster action. Part of these efforts includes supporting countries to drive greater investment in health and reduce fragmentation and duplication – using GFF grants to catalyze more World Bank/IDA financing for health and aligning domestic financing and external resources behind health plans. The GFF therefore supports an ‘on-budget’ and ‘on-system’ approach to guarantee more country ownership and sustainability of health.
In support of country and community leadership and through its 2021–2025 strategy, the GFF has been stepping up its commitment to drive transformative change in health systems through one plan and one budget. Part of these efforts include the GFF’s launch of an alignment working group led by ministers of health, together with FCDO, WHO, USAID, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gavi and Global Fund, and the roll out of alignment frameworks with the World Bank across seven countries.
Recent efforts have also led to strengthened partnerships with other global health institutions, including the Global Fund and Gavi, and other partners to align our support, technical assistance and joint learning. Building on this collaboration and as outlined in the Lusaka Agenda, the GFF looks forward to working more closely together – through our secretariats and our governances – to develop a joint work plan for the next 24 months, an oversight mechanism and engaging with other relevant actors including the World Bank and WHO. The GFF is committed to an iterative learning and adaptative process to support countries in the pursuit of health for all – and to us all achieving greater impact, together.
The GFF would like to thank the FGHI process, and in particular the co-chairs Dr Mercy Mwangangi and Dr John-Arne Røttingen for their leadership on behalf of Kenya and Norway, along with the countries, partners, CSOs and communities, and donors for their invaluable contributions to this important work in driving a long-term vision of domestically-financed health systems and UHC that leaves no one behind. Particular thanks to the FGHI steering group for stewarding this process this year: Amref Health Africa, APCASO, Africa CDC, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, and Canada, Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, European Commission, Ghana, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Norway, UK, USA for their commitment to this agenda.
The statement can be downloaded here.