Action for Global Health’ second year review

EPHA is partner in the Action for Global Health network, which is a network consisting of 15 European NGOs seeking a better European contribution to the three health-related Millennium Development Goals in low and middle-income countries.

The AFGH partners met in Brighton for a busy working week to review the second year of the project and plan for the third year of work. The meeting brought together the coordination team from ActionAid, advocacy officers and managers from the 15 organisations involved in the project, the "Project Accountability Group" from ActionAid, external evaluators and special guests, such as the responsible officer at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for European Advocay project and last but not least, John Martin, Adviser to the WHO Director-General’s Office for the Revitilisation of Primary Health Care.

The first two days were dedicated to the review of the second year of the project with evaluation sessions facilitated by George Gawlinksi. Both advocacy officers and managers were asked to reflect on the progress made so far and the improvements that still need to be made. This working session was then followed by the external evaluation of the second year which delivered an encouraging report. The WHO speaker then gave his view of what AFGH should be doing to support the primary health care vision of WHO in the future as well as what WHO can do to aid the network.

The two following days were devoted to finalising the workplan for the project’s third year. Several workshops on changes were undertaken to finalise the advocacy strategy and to ascertain what precise actions would be needed to ensure that the network moved forward. The meeting also agreed upon the timing and approach needed to complete the policy report and publications for the third year.

Key messages

The success of this annual meeting was a result of the active participation from the partners and the work of an effective moderator. The meeting focused on several shared concerns, particularly :

Global crisis

The recent global financial crisis can be viewed as either a potential opportunity or a threat for civil society’s work and action. Discussions at the meeting examined whether and how it may change our vision our work? How can this new factor can be integrated in AFGH’s work? It was agreed that developments related to the financial crisis should be followed and incorporated into AFGH’s work.

Accountability

Integration of the right to health /health systems strengthening approach in the strategy and the messages

So far, the right to health has not been strongly integrated into AFGH policy, something for which EPHA has been very critical of. Now, the right to health has been declared as a priority in every policy area. This was the strongest achievement on this conference.

Dialogue with southern countries

As an organisation working for Health and Development, the partners recognised the need for AFGH to develop dialogue with organisations based in the countries targeted by the MDG, and to engage more effectively with the work and projects undertaken by many of the project’s partner organisations. More engagement with the south including bringing their voices to the European policy makers was therefore designated a key area of work in the third year of the project.

Mainstreaming of the gender approach in all AFGH working areas

Gender has been reaffirmed as a priority for AFGH and should be integrated into all AFGH policy areas.

Comments

The constructive approach at the meeting was strongly appreciated by all, including EPHA. The working sessions really helped move forward the work and the progression of the network. The integration of the ’right to health’ approach in every AFGH policy area was obviously a great success. The general agreement by all organisations that the project now needs to move beyond financial matters to work on more general development and health issues will hopefully allow for an increase in the scope of the project.

For further information

Action for Global Health’s Winter Newsletter