The International Health Partnership (IHP) – a global initiative with country-sensitivity?

Launched in September 2007, the International Health Partnership is one of the most recent global health initiatives. It is a coalition of international health agencies, governments and donors committed to improving health and development outcomes in developing countries and getting back on track to reach the health-related Millennium Development Goals. Last month brought together thirteen countries to review early country experiences.

Launched in September 2007, the International Health Partnership is one of the most recent global health initiatives. It is a coalition of international health agencies, governments and donors committed to improving health and development outcomes in developing countries and getting back on track to reach the health-related Millennium Development Goals.

The IHP brings together the Paris Declaration aid effectiveness agenda, comprehensive health sector development (building on experiences with sector wide approaches SWAp), and a strong focus on health outcomes. A meeting in Lusaka 28 February - 1 March 2008 brought together thirteen countries to review early country experiences.

The International Health Partnership will be further developed and models tested by a first wave of countries supported by international partners - Burundi, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Nepal and Zambia. These countries - and five more - met in Lusaka on 28 February - 1 March 2008 to review early country experiences.

The meeting concluded with a final session on an agreed 'Way forward' covering preparations of 'country compacts' (i.e. agreements that set mutual responsibility and accountability for the development and implementation of national health plans), monitoring and evaluation, changing development partner behaviours and procedures, engagement with civil society, harmonization of technical assistance, future inter-agency work and high level political advocacy.

Some take-home observations from the Lusaka meeting:

  • Country teams gave a strong message that they do not want to establish new procedures or systems in conjunction with the new global initiatives and that one needs to build on what is already there.
  • Countries reported that there is often a significant "de-link" between country offices and global headquarters. Overcoming the information and conceptual gap and reach agreement on strategies and approaches iwill be critical for IHP success.
  • Another success criteria will be develop the IHP and compact processes so that the large stakeholders, including the global funds (GFATM, GAVI) and large bilateral initiatives (such as the US PEPFAR initiative), will find ways to constructively engage and align with national health plans and monitoring systems.
  • The participation of civil society representatives, many from the HIV/AIDS community, was a major break-through for the IHP and will contribute to the further shaping of the initiative.