Within the conclusions to the European Council meeting in Brussels on 20 June 2008, EU leaders agreed a comprehensive package of measures that re-affirmed their commitments on Development cooperation and outlined milestones on how these were to improve health and reduce poverty so as to put the Millennium Development Goals back on track.
Action for Global Health Brussels partners welcomed their agreement and congratulated EU leaders for not allowing the crisis over the Lisbon Treaty to divert their attention away from EU business with this important step in EU development cooperation.
“EU leaders should be congratulated for their leadership they have demonstrated, particularly at a time they could have allowed the Irish Vote on the Lisbon Treaty to detract them from their responsibilities. They have spelled out exactly how and when they are to implement their previous commitments” said Monika Kosinska, Secretary General of EPHA, member of Action for Global Health. “These plans are vital as without them developing countries cannot build and run effective health care systems as they do not know when and how aid will be delivered” she added.
The health section of the EU Agenda for Action places the additional finance to reach the health MDGs at € 13,4 billion by 2010 based on the WHO Commission on Macroeconomics and Health’s estimations. On the basis that the EU continues to provide 60% of ODA, this would mean the EU would increase its support to health by €8 billion by 2010, almost €6 billion of which would be for Africa.
The EU Agenda For Action on the MDGs then outlines how increasing EU aid will be used by 2010 to:
save 4 million more children’s lives each year, 2 million of which in Africa;
to have 35 million more births attended by skilled health personnel each year, 13 million of which in Africa;
75 million more bednets in Africa,
additional funding for national plans, including through IHP+ and the “Providing for Health Initiative”,
the scaling up and empowerment of the health workforce,
the development of sustainable financing health systems, including social protection in health,
an increased coverage of Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses programmes and support of country efforts to reach universal coverage with effective interventions to control malaria,
contribute to get as close as possible to the universal and free access to HIV/AIDS prevention, mitigation and treatment by 2010.
The EU leaders agreements cover: commitments to increase aid, to improve the coherence of other EU policies with development policies, as well as how EU development cooperation will aid achievement of the development goals.
The leadership and commitments demonstrated by EU leaders were strongly welcomed by the Brussels partners of Action For Global Health who had strongly urged a strong demonstration of commitment prior to the meeting. In an advert in the European Voice newspaper Action For Global Health highlighted how the Euro 2008 team of leaders were still missing their development goals. It called on leaders to redouble their efforts and spell out specific actions they were to undertake to put the MDGs, including th three health MDGs, back on target.
