Strengthening health systems around the world

Context

Infectious diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis and malaria still cause several million deaths each year and are responsible for a high burden of disease in the world’s poorest countries. Almost 100 million people fall into poverty each year due to illness: this is the result of insufficiently developed and underfinanced health systems. The COVID-19 pandemic has also highlighted the importance of a functioning health system.

Developing and expanding resilient health systems is one important key to achieving UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 “Good Health and Well-Being”. To this end, greater use is to be made of funding from global and intergovernmental initiatives – such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) and the Providing for Health (P4H) network – to strengthen health systems.

Objective

Cooperation partners make efficient use of resources provided by global and intergovernmental initiatives to strengthen health systems.

Approach

The project is being implemented in three components:

It advises GFATM recipient countries on aligning the financing with national priorities and using the resources to strengthen their health systems.

It also facilitates better coordination among donors in the P4H network and encourages the implementation of national reforms to ensure long-term, equitable health financing.

In addition, it seeks to enhance the conditions for expanding local vaccine production in Africa. This supports the African Union’s target of increasing the share of vaccines produced on the continent from 1 per cent to 60 per cent by 2040.

Promoting gender equality and civil-society involvement is a particular priority for the project.

Last update: October 2024