WHO Response to the Lusaka Agenda

1 December 2023
WHO appreciates the strategic shifts and near-terms actions included in the Lusaka Agenda developed by the Future of Global Health Initiatives process. These are consistent with considerations under development as part of WHO’s next General Programme of Work 14 (GPW14) for 2025 – 2028. The GPW14 will provide a Member State-led global health agenda for the coming years, which places people, and the countries that represent them, at the center of the global health ecosystem.

We appreciate the country-driven process and support a shift in the global health initiatives (GHI) operating model towards better alignment behind country-led health priorities, needs and systems. WHO encourages stakeholders to leverage existing institutions. WHO will contribute to these global efforts through further development of technical guidance, evidence generation, monitoring and measurement capacities, and through its convening power in line with its General Programme of Work. In relation to the shifts, we highlight the following points where WHO can contribute:

-Measurement and accountability: WHO can continue to serve as a core global repository and standard
setter for health-related data. The need for common metrics for primary health care (PHC), health
system strengthening (HSS), resilience, and alignment, requires coordination and technical expertise.
The process of identifying and operationalizing shared metrics should be pursued with a focus on: (i)
streamlining country-level monitoring process to develop a unified performance framework, (ii)
aligning with routine measurement processes and timelines, and (iii) reducing country-level reporting
burdens. The establishment of this common set of metrics should be incorporated into GHI
performance frameworks, with clear agreement to align in support of the underlying technical
capacities required to progress against these metrics.

-One plan, one budget, one M&E framework: WHO’s work to support its Member States in developing
context-relevant plans will be critical to enable compatible, efficient, and more sustainable GHI-related
funding approaches. Strong processes and systems are essential to bring together countries’ domestic
priorities, perspectives and needs into a unified plan, behind which GHIs as well as other donor
resources can align. These plans and budgets should enable the delivery of priority packages of PHC-
oriented interventions. GHIs should adjust funding mechanisms to support these country-led unified
plans, budgets, and M&E frameworks.

-Convening: WHO will continue to leverage its networks and platforms to convene stakeholders,
including development partners, to coordinate and align behind the identified shifts. This includes as
a member of the boards of Global Fund, Gavi and Unitaid. For example, WHO’s TB Vaccine Accelerator
Council is bringing together these and other partners around a specific challenge. Other initiatives
include, but are not limited to, the G20 Joint Finance and Health Ministerial Taskforce, WHO’s Medical
Countermeasures Platform, SDG3 Gap, Sustainable Financing for Health Accelerator, and UHC2030.
WHO’s regional offices are a forum for linking global processes and country actions. WHO’s country
offices are positioned to operationalize, translate, and adapt actions and shifts within each country’s
context.

The statement can be downloaded here.