“We fight global poverty by promoting health.
Within the Medicus Mundi International Network,
we share our know-how and our commitment for
accessible, equitable and sustainable health care.”

Poverty, inequality, violence and injustice are at the root of ill-health and death in many low income countries. Economic restructuring has lead to reduced public spending on health care, resulting in shortages and demotivation of staff, lack of resources, inadequate training and poor maintenance of infrastructures. The international market mechanisms are not geared to promote global, equal access to essential drugs and health-promoting commodities.

Changes are taking place at the organisational level. Boundaries are blurring between public and private and between for-profit and not-for-profit. There is less and less difference between a consultancy firm and an NGO health facility. More and more they have to operate according to the same (profit-driven and competitive) business principles. These developments and changes have serious implications for not-for-profit basic health care facilities in developing countries.

Through its member organisations Medicus Mundi International has direct contact with more than thousand basic health care facilities in Africa, Asia and Latin America and maintains professional relationships with organisations in the North which support these health care facilities and has straight links with academic institutions in the North and in the South.

Key issues 2007 – 2010: In close consultation with its member organisations the following four issues have been determined for the coming four years:

> Strategies to keep competent and motivated staff available.
> Bridging the appropriate technology gap in basic health care.
> Strategic positioning of private not-for-profit health care facilities.
> Strengthening the MMI Network.

The issues will be systematically documented in order to obtain better insight in the underlying causes and develop practical solutions for those working at field level. The outcome will be shared with health facilities through efficient use of modern technologies. But this is not enough. The information will, as in the past, be shared with the international community, bilateral donors, national governments and NGOs. We will make maximum use of our broad network and official status at the WHO, to disseminate the information and to stimulate the different actors to take concrete steps to attain the universal objective of health for all.

"In the past decades private not-for-profit – mainly church-based – health facilities have played a central role in basic health care provision in Sub-Saharan Africa. In comparison to the public sector they are small and in the overall debates on the future of public health systems their role is often overlooked and their specific problems are not adequately addressed." (MMI Policy Plan 2007-2010; Photo: WHO/P.Virot)