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More countries sign up to the International Health Partnership
23 May 2008
At
a major meeting this week of the World Health Organisation (WHO), more countries signed up as donors to the International Health
Partnership (IHP). The annual World Health Assembly session in Geneva (19-23 May) saw
Finland, Sweden, Australia and Spain all commit to the partnership, which aims
to improve health systems in developing countries.
The IHP has enjoyed a high profile at this week's meeting. The WHO showed its support by giving it a top slot on 22 May, enabling partners to come together to reflect on the progress made during the IHP's first eight months.
DFID Minister Gillian Merron, who was in attendance, took this opportunity to reinforce the UK's continuing commitment to the IHP and its expansion. She spoke alongside WHO's Director-General Dr Margaret Chan, other international health agencies, development partners and Ministers for developing countries.
Since its launch in September 2007, there has been significant activity both globally and within the eight developing countries where the IHP will work. Across the eight IHP countries, there is encouraging progress being made on the formulation of country compacts. The first raft of these compacts - which set out how the IHP will be taken forward within each country - is expected to be completed by October this year.
In addition, Madagascar and Nigeria have joined up as IHP countries, indicating that the developing world is keen to participate. With the four new donors signing this week, there are strong signs that the political momentum behind the partnership is increasing.
Signatories to the IHP agree that, to meet the health Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), sustainable health systems must be built in poor countries, and donors should be better coordinated and unified behind poor countries' own health plans. Find out more about the IHP, including a list of participating countries and donors.
