Editorial: NGOs contribute to health systems strengthening – a matter of course, isn’t it?
Dear reader,
With its strategic focus on health systems strengthening (Network strategy 2011-15) the Medicus Mundi International Network explicitly refers to the health systems strategy of the World Health Organization: Contributing to health system strengthening will be the common denominator of joint enterprises and statements of the Medicus Mundi International Network within the next five years.
What sounds to be obvious – nongovernmental organizations working in the field of international health cooperation support and strengthen health systems – is not taken for granted. NGOs, “if not careful and vigilant, can undermine the public sector and even the health system as a whole, by diverting health workers, managers and leaders into privatized operations that create parallel structures to government and that tend to worsen the isolation of communities from formal health systems (…)” This assessment is, at least, the starting point of the “NGO Code of Conduct for Health Systems Strengthening” first published in May 2008. The code intends to offer guidance on how international non-governmental organizations can work in host countries in a way that respects and supports the primacy of the government’s responsibility for organizing health system delivery.
A matter of course? Well, you can test it yourself, right now, for your own NGO, if you like: How many of the following statements taken from the NGO code correspond with your organization’s standard?
- “In areas where trained personnel are scarce, we will make every effort to refrain from hiring health or managerial professional staff away from the public sector, thus depleting ministries and their clinical operations of talent and expertise.” (yes? no? not sure? not relevant for you?)
- “We commit to limiting pay and benefits inequity between expatriate and national, rural and urban, and ministry and NGO workers. We encourage compensation structures that provide incentives for rural service and disallow gender-related disparities.” (yes? no? not sure? not relevant for you?)
- “We recognize that management capacity in Ministries of Health is often limited. Rather than building parallel or circuitous structures around inadequate capacity, we commit to strengthening governments’ ability to operate effectively and efficiently.” (yes? no? not sure? not relevant for you?)
- “We strengthen the capacity of communities to take responsibility for and ownership of their health development, and to become partners with government in the health system, while holding governments accountable for their human rights obligations.” (yes? no? not sure? not relevant for you?)
- “We actively advocate with civil society, local institutions and donors for policies and programs that strengthen health systems overall.” (yes? no? not sure? not relevant for you?)
- “We commit to designing our activities and programs so that they reinforce primary health care, foster equity and community involvement, and are generally replicable and financially sustainable over time.” (yes? no? not sure? not relevant for you?)
So, are you happy with your score? 6 out of 6? Congratulations! But nevertheless, you might be interested to further discuss the task of contributing to building public health systems and doing no harm. The members of the MMI Network members will meet on 5th November in Amsterdam in a workshop on “Health systems strengthening”, reflecting about the role of NGOs and of their particular organization in health systems strengthening. Join us, if you like!
Thomas Schwarz, Executive Secretary
Medicus Mundi International Network
NGO Code of Conduct for Health Systems Strengthening www.ngocodeofconduct.org
MMI Network: News, Events and Resources
MMI Network Member
60 years of Doctors with Africa Cuamm
The Italian member of the Medicus Mundi International Network Doctors with Africa Cuamm celebrates its 60th Anniversary with a series of events in October and November 2010. The President of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano, will participate at the main ceremony on 11 November in Padua, when the title of Doctor Honoris Causa will be conferred by the University of Padua to the former Cuamm director Don Luigi Mazzucato and the organization will launch its new campaign on free access to maternal and newborn care. In addition, a photographic exhibition on African Hospitals in Africa will be inaugurated and a book collecting people and voices from the ground will be presented.
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MMI Network Event
Kick-off event for the Network Strategy 2011-2015
Amsterdam, 5 November 2010
MMI Network meeting as a starting point for the implementation of our Network Strategy 2011-2015. The meeting hosted by our Dutch member Wemos will be a full day event (9 AM to 4 PM). Invitations were sent to MMI Network members and partners by e-mail, on 29 September 2010. If you are interested to join in, please get in touch with our secretariat.
http://bit.ly/mmimeeting
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MMI Network Event
Health Systems Research and NGOs:
building up mutually beneficial partnerships
Antwerp, 11 November 2010
Side event to the colloquium “Health Research towards Universal coverage” at the Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp.
http://bit.ly/11november
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MMI Network News: Wemos
Health, a shared responsibility
Wemos, 13 October 2010 | “At their annual regional committee meeting in Moscow, European member states adopted a World Health Organization (WHO) resolution. The heart of its message was that health is so essential that it should not be restricted to the domain of the Ministry of Health but also integrated into the policies of other ministries. Wemos endorses this message wholeheartedly! ”
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MMI Network Resources: Cordaid
Home-based care and support in the context of AIDS:
Share relevant reseach – Building a online resource center together
cordaidpartners | ”On behalf of the Caregivers Action Network, and in preparation for the upcoming conference “HIV Care and Support: A Roadmap to Universal Access” being hosted by the UK Consortium on AIDS and International Development, Cordaid and the Huairou Commission are conducting a desk research initiative. The purpose is to compile all academic research that has been conducted on home-based Care and Support in the context of AIDS. Please send us any and all research papers on home-based care and support that you have conducted or are aware of. The deadline is November 2nd. Send all contributions to: all_caregivers@yahoo.com.”
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MMI Network Projects: Fatebenefratelli
Missions and International Cooperation News
Fatebenefratelli | The newsletter of the Missions and International Cooperation Office at the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God is available at the Order’s website (“Missions and International Cooperation Office” page, bottom).
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MMI Network Resources: Medicus Mundi Switzerland
Access to medicines for all
MMS | The issue no. 117 (September 2010) of the Bulletin of Medicus Mundi Switzerland is a collection of contributions in English, French and German on the challenge of improving access to medicines.