G8 Health Experts meet civil society including EPHA in Venice

.The main message that the representatives of civil society gave the G8 health experts was the need for the G8 governments to keep their promises and honour their commitments. A central part of this was the need to deliver the promised additional $12 billion per year to combat infectious diseases and strengthen health systems.

Civil society representatives present also highlighted the need for the G8 to increase efforts to address health in developing countries given the current global economic crisis. The key political messages agreed among civil society in Venice were:

 The need for the G8 to keep their promises with a meaningful accountability process in place to track the Toyako matrix
 To focus on efforts to reach the MDGs
 To deliver full funding for health and ensure that innovative financing is additional to ODA commitmemens
 To properly coordinate interventions in line with the Accra Agenda for Action and the Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness
 Ensure the proper integration of services at local level

Action for Global Health partners AIDOS and CESTAS took leading roles in facilitating the civil society contributions within their roles in GCAP Italy. In addition the role of collating the positions outlined by civil society and presenting the health sector needs as a whole fell to Action for Global Health representative from EPHA. A full text of the presentation given by Frazer Goodwin from EPHA acting for Action for Global Health and the full civil society declaration is available in the Members only section of the web site