Date: 30 October 2023
News update on the Future of Global Health Initiatives process
The Future of Global Health Initiatives (FGHI) process has made significant headway in the last two months and continues to gather momentum.
Wilton Park, UK, October 2023
On 4 – 6 October 2023, the FGHI process and Wilton Park, in association with the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, co-convened a group of global, regional, and national health stakeholders – from governments and international and domestic financing partners, civil society and health organizations at Wiston House, UK. They came together to reflect on how the global health financing ecosystem, with a focus on global health initiatives (GHIs), can be optimised to best support national health priorities and countries’ progress to universal health coverage (UHC). Dr Githinji Gitahi, CEO of Amref Health Africa, and Neil Briscoe, Head of Policy at Wilton Park, moderated the discussions. The dialogue marked a significant moment of inflection in the FGHI’s process of dialogue, deliberation, and action.
Interventions from African countries were clear and compelling, including calls for country-led prioritisation and strengthened representation and voice on GHI boards. Wilton Park participants aligned on five strategic shifts for the evolution of the global health financing ecosystem to 2030 and beyond:
1. Making a stronger contribution to primary health care (PHC)
2. Mainstreaming sustainability across GHI portfolios
3. Maintaining focus on achieving equity in outcomes
4. Achieving strategic and operational coherence
5. Coordinating approaches to products, R&D and regional manufacturing to address market and policy failures in global heath.
Dialogue participants made progress in identifying and prioritising short-term actions to achieve these shifts and supported further exploration of a proposal to establish a joint operational team of Global Fund/Gavi/Global Financing Facility, including the World Bank and the World Health Organization, to drive implementation of changes in operations, with oversight by GHI governing bodies. There was support for exploring a time-limited, light-touch Friends of the FGHI arrangement to help drive implementation and accountability after the formal FGHI process wraps up at the end of 2023.
A report summarising the full meeting can be read here and the FGHI Co-Chairs’ Technical Note can be read here
The next stage of the FGHI process
In the coming weeks, the FGHI Extended Commitments Task Team and Steering Group will carry this work forward, with the goal of aligning in principle on a set of commitments for collective action (to be known as the FGHI Compact for Change) at a meeting in Lusaka in the margins of the 3rd International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA).
The CPHIA official side event co-hosted by Africa CDC, Amref Health Africa and the FGHI, ‘Future of Global Health Initiatives: The Future We Want to See’, will take place on Monday 27 November 6pm-8pm CAT in Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka. The meeting will bring together African public health policymakers and advocates to help catalyse collective action to shape a global health financing ecosystem that is fit for purpose through to 2030 and beyond.
The event will be open to all CPHIA participants and will take the form of a moderated panel discussion with a Q&A session, followed by a reception. The event will be recorded and streamed live. If you would like to attend the event, please register your interest through this link.
FGHI engagements at the CPHIA will mark a critical stepping stone on the pathway to the Compact for Change and underscore the aspiration of the FGHI process to link to the work of the African Union COVID-19 Commission and the Africa Leadership Meeting, to drive action and accountability through these critical regional mechanisms. UHC Day on 12 December provides an opportunity to launch the FGHI Compact.
Recent events
WHO AFR Regional Committee Meeting, Gaborone, Botswana, August 2023
The FGHI process featured in the margins of the 73rd session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa (WHO AFR RCM) in Gaborone, Botswana. It was a focus of two side events: the African Health Leaders Policy Forum co-convened by the Ministers of Health of Ethiopia and Rwanda; and the Strategic Priorities for Africa’s Engagement with GHIs event co-hosted by WHO-AFRO and the Africa Constituency Bureau for the Global Fund. An overview of these two events including points of the discussion can be read on the FGHI process website here.
United Nations General Assembly, New York, USA, September 2023
Shortly after WHO AFR RCM, the FGHI process was the subject of several discussions at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. Dr Mercy Mwangangi, co-chair of the FGHI steering group, participated in the UN High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage, taking part in a multi-stakeholder panel discussion: “Aligning our investments for health and well-being in a post-COVID world”, alongside Dr. Sania Nishtar, Member of the Senate of Pakistan; Dr. Werner Hoyer, President, European Investment Bank; and Ms. Inger Ashing, Chief Executive Officer, Save the Children. Dr Mercy’s remarks at this event can be read here on the FGHI process website.
In addition, on 19 September 2023, in the margins of UNGA, Amref Health Africa and the UN Foundation co-hosted a candid conversation: ‘Aligning global heath financing and political accountability on the path to UHC.’ The discussion focused on how development assistance for health, including through strengthened GHIs, can best support country priorities, plans, and budgets in support of UHC, as countries transition to increased domestic financing for health. The conversation took place under Chatham House Rule and provided space for participants to speak frankly about ways to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of partner support to countries’ efforts to achieve UHC. The room reflected a diversity of perspectives, including Ministers of Health who receive external global health funding, donor governments, GHIs, civil society, and other partners. One point was clear: no voices argued that the status quo should be maintained. A summary of the event can be read here.
World Health Summit, Berlin, Germany, October 2023
On the margins of the World Health Summit in Berlin, Bjørg Sandkjær, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway, hosted an FGHI breakfast meeting that provided an opportunity to share reflections on the FGHI dialogue at Wilton Park. The meeting included a strong commitment by Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya to the FGHI process and its alignment with Africa CDC’s New Public Health Order.
FGHI 2023 Roadmap
FGHI at recent events
FGHI process on the agenda during WHO AFR Regional Committee Meeting side event. From left to right: Ms. Bjørg Sandkjær, Ms. Linda Mafu, Minister Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, Dr. Jean-Jacques Mbugani, Mrs. Susan Mochache, Prof. Aladje Baldé, Mr. Dabsou Guidaoussou, Dr. Benido
the 78thsession of the UN General Assembly in New York
and GHIs can be optimised to support countries’ progress to universal
health coverage
Upcoming events for the FGHI process
- FGHI CSO Briefing Webinar will take place on Wednesday 15 November at the new time of 5:30pm-6:30 pm CAT 2023. Follow this link to register.
- ‘Future of Global Health Initiatives: The Future We Want to See’ dialogue will take place at CPHIA on Monday 27 November 6pm-8pm CAT 2023, in Mulungushi International Conference Centre, Lusaka, Zambia. Follow this link to register.
- UHC Day, 12 December 2023
About the Future of Global Health Initiatives process
The FGHI process brings together a group of global health stakeholders – from governments and international and domestic-financing partners to civil society, health organisations, and academics – in a time-bound process of consultation and research throughout 2023, to reflect on how global health initiatives can be optimised to best support national health priorities and countries’ progress towards universal health coverage.
The process aims to provide specific recommendations for GHIs to better align, work with other health funders and strengthen their support for national priorities, plans and budgets, and shape a global health financing ecosystem that is fit for purpose through to 2030 and beyond.
More information
Want to know more? For more information please contact Secretariat@futureofghis.org.