AFGH recommendations on Aid and Community participation

The Conference had the twin goals of elaborating the roles that community participation could play in the health sector in developing countries and the ways in which the sector may be financed by European Aid funds.

The question on aid modalities and architecture focussed onthe role of General Budget Support where donors transfer Aid Directly to the finance ministeries of developing countries for them to spend to achieve development objectives. The efficiency of this Aid modality had been questioned by a recent report from the European Court of Auditors. On the basis of this report Action for Global Health had asked the European Commission a series of questions on Budget support and finance for the health sector. These questions formed the main part of the debate for the afternoon session of the conference.

The conference was able to agree a series of recommendations. These have been presented to Member State experts at a special meeting discussing health and development by EPHA secretariat’s Frazer Goodwin on behalf of the civil society participants at the conference.