World Health Assembly breakfast side event on 23 May 2023, Geneva:
“Reimagining the Future of Global Health Initiatives: what are the incentives for change?”

On the margins of WHA76 we were delighted to be joined by panellists and speakers – including the co-chairs of the FGHI Steering Group, Dr Mercy Mwangangi, Former Chief Administrative Secretary, Kenyan Ministry of Health, and John-Arne Røttingen, Global Health Ambassador, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for a panel discussion on reimagining the future of GHIs.

Dr Mercy Mwangangi opened the event by giving an overview of the FGHI process and its aims.

Professor Karl Blanchet, Director of Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies, and part of the FGHI research consortium, gave a presentation on the research process so far, and asked some of the overarching questions that are being explored throughout interviews with recipient countries, GHIs and other global health stakeholders.

John-Arne Røttingen spoke about how the FGHI process aims to build on the strengths of the GHIs as part of a wider drive to support countries’ health systems to become more self-reliant. He spoke about the proliferation of health financing in some countries, the need for greater coordination, and the importance of country leadership.

What was discussed during the panel event?

Dr Mercy Mwangangi led a panel discussion with esteemed colleagues from Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, USA, WHO, Global Fund, Gavi, Japan and Amref.

H.E. Dr Roger Kamba, Minister of Health for Democratic Republic of Congo, called for improved understanding of local needs and greater flexibility to invest in strengthening health systems.

Munir Kassa, Advisor to the Minister of Health, Ethiopia, gave a striking example of co-financing that is incentivizing domestic resources for family planning. As part of the GFF Alignment Working Group, established by the GFF Investors Group, he spoke about the importance of one budget, one report and one plan.

Loyce Pace, Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, called for a move from ROI for donors to ROI for communities – and gave the example of frontline health workers being given the extra burden of filling out multiple forms for governments to be able report.

Dr Anshu Banjeree, Director Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, WHO, discussed fungibility of health financing, the importance of performance-based financing that is linked to primary healthcare indicators, and the need to ensure that health systems are not siloed into disease areas.

We heard from Prof. Kalipso Chalkidou, Head of Health Financing at the Global Fund, who talked about work in Pakistan and the pooling of resources to support the national plan.

Dr Benjamin Loevinsohn, Director of Immunization, Financing & Sustainability at Gavi, spoke to results-based financing and co-financing to encourage domestic health spending.

Dr Satoshi Ezoe, presented slides and discussed the G7’s collective commitment to mobilize $48 billion for health to support UHC and PPR and highlighted that the G7 Leaders’ communique noted that leaders are looking forward to the outcomes of the FGHI process.

Desta Lakew, Group Director, Partnerships & External Affairs, Amref Health Africa, called for African countries to be at the centre of decision-making about their needs and priorities, and the role of domestic financing vehicles.

Before John-Arne Røttingen drew the event to a close, we heard reflections from several audience members –underscoring the need for change in how health is financed, and the enormous opportunity at hand.

We would like to thank all of our panellists and speakers for taking part in this event, the 180+ attendees, and our partners at Fondation Campus Biotech Geneva for hosting the event in their auditorium.