MDGs achievement high on EC/ACP/WHO partnership agenda

Mar 14, 2009 News

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In order to map the way forward, the European Commission/African, Caribbean and Pacific States/ World Health Organisation (EC/ACPS/WHO) partnership as it relates to achieving the Health Millennium Development Goals, a meeting was held at Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel on Thursday.
The meeting attracted officials from the eight countries targeted by the partnership; representatives of the European Commission, including local Head of the European Delegation, Geert Heikens; local PAHO/WHO Representative, Dr Kathleen Israel; and Assistant Director General of WHO, Ms Susanne Weber-Mosdorf, among other officials.
The EC/ACP/ WHO partnership on MDGs was signed in September 2006.
According to WHO Representative, Raul Paula, the partnership is intended to address and contribute to poverty alleviation and to achieve the Health MDGs in Guyana, Haiti and six African countries.
“This partnership is to foster close collaboration at all levels between the organisations on subjects relating to health and development, with a view to strengthening and scaling up ACPs health system in order to improve health results.”
As such, he noted that the ACPs are expecting WHO to first assist Ministries of Health in the coordination and the policies dialogue with the donors and to provide technical input in the designing of health policies, among other factors.
The meeting, according to Paula, comes as a re-confirmation of the European Union commitment to help countries achieve the MDGs, and is an important step in the re-enforcement of the cooperation.
According to him, having observed certain scenarios, it has been deduced that health and education are the key factors for the attainment of the MDG goals and development of countries.
Weber-Mosdorf, pointed out that addressing public health could be very challenging, as it is not only about medical devices and advices, but also about combating the determinants of health, such as safe water, good sanitation and nutrition.
“It is a very challenging endeavour, but I have heard that the Health Minister (Dr Leslie Ramsammy) is doing very well, and he is also steering the discussions within the Government to get health priorities into the governmental budget…”
However, he noted that while donor institutions are important, without the commitment of people who are clear in their views as to what they have to do, the best institutions would fail.
And, since it has been recognised that, with regards to health some countries would fail especially as it relates to Maternal Health, Mosdorf said that countries and partners have been motivated and have promoted measures to push for more effective policies and implementation at the country level.
“We have to count on our people at the country level, because there could be no more important objectives for this partnership than to achieve the commitments of the MDGs.”
He alluded to the financial crisis and economic recession as a motivating factor to create safety nets for countries that are at a disadvantage.
Additionally, Dr Kathleen Israel pointed out that financial challenges must inevitably have implications when it comes to the availability of resources from donor entities for the much-needed public health work that must be done.
“The current troubling situation signals the need to take nothing for granted, and to redouble our efforts to ensure that resources that are already committed, such as those from the EC for this project, be put to the very best use so as to achieve the highest possible level of outcome.”
And, with the insight anticipated over the next few days, Dr Israel expressed optimism that the participants would be able to establish the context and the background against which to view the achievements of the project in Guyana, as well as the formidable challenges to project implementation.
“We must never lose sight of the fact that this project is very important in addressing some of the fundamental public health issues in Guyana, and that success is not only an option, it is an imperative if we are to help to improve the health and quality of life for the Guyanese people and all the people of the project countries.”
In brief remarks to the gathering Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud, noted that the meeting will have tremendous benefit for Guyana, since local efforts have been made over the last couple of years to actively develop programmes, and to address the monitoring and evaluation aspects of the Millennium Development Goals. (MDGs).
“I myself have been working with Dr Israel to ensure that these goals are addressed, that the indicators are serviced well, and that we have all of the data that are needed.”
The meeting, which is slated to come to an end today, took on a field trip form yesterday when the participants travelled by road and river to a remote community to get a firsthand look at how the MDG programmes are being implemented here.
(Sharmain Cornette)

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